Half a million cheese cones. Five Million riders (or nearing it) on most of the marquee attractions. Families coming to the parks in IP clothing starting on Day 1. The Epic Universe team has seen a lot of milestones in its first year, and they believe it all happened because of the one rule they had in place when dreaming up the portals.

Seriously, there was one rule the Universal Orlando team stood by as the metric for determining whether an idea might move forward or not. Otherwise as Chef Jens Dahlmann mentioned to CinemaBlend and other outlets, ‘there were no restraints.” The dreamers could go as far as they dared to go.

In a Q&A, Executive VP and General Manager of Epic Universe Jeff Polk shared this one rule the entire creative team, from the chefs to the ride designers and VPs, all had when coming up with new ideas in the parks.

It sounds simple, but honestly it was anything but. Epic Universe is made up of thousands and thousands of compounded ideas that all lead to one seamless experience. Just look at Super Nintendo World as an example. You take an escalator through a portal to get into that section of the park. The world is immersive from the moment you step into it, but if you have a Universal Mario band there are even more options to go interactive and to play games leading to other secrets in that section of the park. You can have a wild DK float that’s as big as your face. You can meet Princess Peach and dance with Toad. It all looks like this:

Or, look to Dark Universe, where Ygor roams around, the well lights up at night, and werewolf footprints are “stamped” into the concrete of the forest on Curse of the Werewolf. All these things took people to dream them up.

The creatives knew when they had hits, as Ariana Morabito, VP of Entertainment for Epic Universe and some of the others involved with the park’s creation all cited the Meet-and-Greet with Toothless as a moment they really specifically felt they hit the highest bar. In fact, they were all on hand to watch Toothless roll out.

As someone who has met Toothless, the feeling of touching the dragon is pretty indescribable, and special, even for a grownup. The wonder when kids get to do it will leave an impression. It all came back to the one word though. Per Jeff Polk, “epic” was the only way to measure every single thing that came into being, and it led to over 161 patents being created just for the one theme park.

One a year later, Universal’s park is still going strong. Epic Universe has made adjustments to its schedule in the first year, staying open later to accommodate the wishes of guests, and other changes are being cemented as we speak. The parks recently started testing Universal Celestial Goodnight, a new fireworks show set to officially debut next month on July 7th. There’s rumors about new attractions heading to the Ministry of Magic and other areas of the parks. It’s only a year in, and all I see are growth opportunities ahead. I’m guessing that one rule is still in place for the creative team and will be for awhile.

The temperatures are high, kids are out of school, and we’re getting ready to wish our country a happy birthday, so that could only mean one thing — it’s Christmas in July on Hallmark! The summer slate of holiday movies on Hallmark’s schedule kicks off July 4, but the whole thing makes me wonder: Is there such a thing as too much Christmas? So I posed the question to Hallmark star Alison Sweeney.

People have a lot of big feelings when it comes to the holidays. There’s the fake tree vs. real tree debate, and opinions on when it’s appropriate to start decorating. So what about Christmas coming twice a year? When Alison Sweeney spoke to CinemaBlend about her whopping 14th Hannah Swensen movie, I got the opportunity to ask her feelings about Hallmark’s semi-annual injection of holiday cheer. She said:

Some may argue that celebrating in the summer takes away from the full impact of the holidays, and I wouldn’t blame the actress for feeling that way — for those filming the family-friendly holiday fare, it can feel like Christmas lasts year-round. However, I’m so glad that’s not the case and that even Hallmark stars love Christmas in July.

Alison Sweeney has had a busy year on Hallmark so far, with three premieres in the first half of the 2026 TV schedule. However, we’ll likely have to wait a few more months before we know if she’ll be on this year’s Countdown to Christmas.

Of course we’re already looking forward to Lacey Chabert’s partnership with Disney for Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Hallmark has some delicious Christmas offerings premiering way before that one does.

In fact, Hallmark Channel has been airing holiday movies for about a week now, with its first 2026 Christmas in July premiere coming Saturday, July 4. That will see Jessica Lowndes and Daniel Lissing starring in Christmas Under Construction, where a project on a home renovation reality show becomes a turning point in the characters’ lives. Take a peek at what’s in store for the month:

We’ll also see Hallmark Hunk Stephen Huszar in O Little Christmas Market and Jen Lilley in Love Under the Mistletoe, to name a couple, and remember, those premieres are in addition to nonstop Christmas movies from past years playing all day long for the entire month. It’s almost enough to make you forget the temperatures approaching triple digits outside.

According to that preview, we’ll also get some sneak peeks into what’s to come later in the year, which is a shot of holiday cheer in and of itself for Countdown to Christmas fans.

So don’t let any scrooges dampen your spirit over celebrating the holidays in the middle of summer. You’re in good company with Hallmark stars like Alison Sweeney.

While movies based off of video games have historically suffered, the past few years have changed the genre's reputation. Some of the best video games movies have hit theaters recently, and Simon McQuoid's pair of Mortal Kombat movies are definitely in that category. Following the 2021 original (which is streaming with a HBO Max subscription) the sequel Mortal Kombat II hit theaters in May. I recently spoke with the director about its forthcoming release on 4K UHD, where he revealed a few easter eggs cans can seek out upon the re-watch

Mortal Kombat II is available now on digital and will be available 4K UHD on July 28th. The fandom can now re-watch all those epic fight scenes, and have the ability to pause and rewind every fight, fatality, and surprising pop culture reference. I had the privilege of speaking with Simon McQuoid about the sequel's home release, where I asked him about any east eggs eagle-eyed fans should look out for now that we can stop the sequel. He told me:

Edenia is introuced in the opening sequence of Mortal Kombat II, and is the home of Kitana and one of the realms thats involved in the titular tournament. Fans of the game will recognize it as an important setting, and also the home of other characters like Sindel, Jarrod, Jade, Rain, Kitana and Mileena (depending on which timeline you're in). As McQuoid pointed out, that setting its given its own visual language, including ongoing costume motifs conceptualized and implemented by designer Cappi Ireland.

An Edenian flower is included in a number of pieces throughout Mortal Kombat II, something I didn't notice on my first re-watch of the R-rated action flick. The filmmaker went on to share more examples of the way it's used in the movie, telling me:

God is in the details, and there was clearly a ton of specific work done on Mortal Kombat II. Simon McQuoid's movie felt straight out of the video games, and luckily writer Jeremy Slater already has four more sequels planned. We'll just have to wait and see if Warner Bros. green lights a threequel. I'll personally be keeping my fingers crossed.

Mortal Kombat II reviews priased Karl Urban's Johnny Cage, and luckily there are some easter eggs for that scene stealer as well. Specifically during Johnny's hilarious fake movie Uncaged Fury. As Simon McQuoid told me:

Suddenly I'm feeling the need to pause dissect every frame of the epic sequel. Luckily for me, fans can do exactly that by watching McQuoid's sophomore directorial venture from the comfort of their own home.

Mortal Kombat II is available digitally now, and will arrive on July 28th as part of the 2026 movie release list.

James Gunn is known for putting his brother, his friends, and even wife Jennifer Holland in the movies and TV shows he creates and produces, and I had to know more about why. In an industry where Hollywood nepotism is always making headlines, Holland offered a different explanation as to why Gunn puts people he likes in his movies.

CinemaBlend caught up with Holland, who spoke to us on behalf of Milkbone about their dog, Ozu, being the inspiration for Krypto in Supergirl and Superman. Holland, who plays Emilia Harcourt in the DCU and voices one of Superman's robots in the Fortress of Solitude, told us exclusively that casting friends helps James Gunn feel less lonely in filmmaking:

James Gunn casting his brother, wife, and others isn't just done to boost their resumes. I'd never considered that the tremendous amount of time he spends making movies takes away from time with his loved ones, so he makes sure he can work with them as much as possible. In the meantime, them being on set means he can spend some time with them in between the days spent toiling on a movie, which is really smart.

Holland continued talking about how much Gunn enjoys bringing in people he knows to work on movies, and how that factored into Supergirl. She spoke about their rescue dog, Ozu, and how the real-life story of their experiences with him inspired him to create Krypto's storyline:

Krypto the Superdog is one of the most entertaining characters of the DCU thus far, as as Jennifer Holland mentioned, that's because he's inspired by James Gunn's real-life pet Ozu. As a rescue pet, the dog had some habits that would give most owners trouble, especially if he had superpowers. Even without superpowers, Holland confirmed that Ozu could be quite feisty, but stressed that his rambunctious behavior didn't mean he was a "bad dog."

In many ways, Krypto represents a theme of Supergirl. In that, one doesn't have to be perfect to still be a good person. Milly Alcock's character may not be quite as polished as her cousin, but her unique style and brand makes for an engaging character which Gunn finds interesting. If the goal is to make each hero have their own distinct personality, I can only imagine how a future Justice League movie will look.

Of course, the DCU is a hot topic as of late, as Supergirl's box office take has some questioning how long the ride will last. I'm hoping the movie doesn't slow the momentum of Gunn building this universe, though ultimately, I think most studios know a stumble or two is to be expected on the way to creating something bigger.

Supergirl still has a chance to bounce back, and people can see it in theaters right now. Go to see Krypto, and see just how wild Jennifer Holland and James Gunn's pet Ozu was, with some additional special effects.

To say that we love the Evil Dead franchise here at CinemaBlend is probably an understatement, as the first three films made our list of the best horror movies of all time, with Ash vs. Evil Dead gleefully delivering some of TV’s grossest sequences. And even though French filmmaker Sebastien Vaniček’s upcoming horror movie Evil Dead Burn is another standalone entry that aims more for extreme terror than anything comedic, it still comes with a seal of approval from OGs Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi.

Evil Dead Burn's first trailer offered a compacted smor-gore-sbord of the intensity that horror fans can anticipate when the 2026 movie releases on July 10, and Vaniček talked to SFX Magazine on CinemaBlend for the newest issue about being heavily influenced by the hyper-violent films that sparked the New French Extremity moniker. But no need to fear it feeling like a completely different horror movie. The director shared that Ash Williams himself, Bruce Campbell, had but one request when they first talked about Burn’s approach. In his words:

Gotta love hearing that Campbell only wanted the newest franchise director to stick to the mission statement, but without attempting to convince Vaniček to go in any specific directions with it. It's not entirely unexpected, but still means a lot.

Bruce Campbell essentially retired from portraying Ash in live-action, and previously turned down opportunities to make cameos in the current era of Evil Dead features. What's more, the actor candidly revealed he was diagnosed with a treatable-but-not-curable cancer, which has obviously had an impact on his day-to-day life.

Sebastien Vaniček paid Campbell a mighty big compliment as well, saying this about the fan-favorite actor:

He's a one-of-a-kind treasure, that guy. I can't wait to hear what Bruce Campbell thinks about Evil Dead Burn as a finished product, and whether or not he thinks the actors suffered more than he did under Sam Raimi's direction. (Probably not.)

Speaking of the esteemed genre master, Evil Dead Burn's Vaniček shared that Raimi allowed himself to be an open book — but not like a cursed one with human skin for its cover — if and when any questions came up or advice was needed. The French filmmaker praised that process, saying:

We've come a long way from 1981's The Evil Dead, but just like its garish and malicious monsters, this franchise always comes back, and it gets nastier every time. But in a good way, and not like old milk.

Have fun celebrating America's independence, because by July 10, Evil Dead Burn will be pouring hot wax all over everything in sight.

Actress Millie Bobby Brown became a household name after leading the Stranger Things cast, but she's worked on a number of other projects for the streaming service. Those with a Netflix subscription are about to be treated to Enola Holmes 3, which will once again have the 22 year-old actress breaking the fourth wall and directly speaking to the audience. And she spoke to CinemaBlend about one thing that bothers her about re-watching the first movie.

While fans are still debating Stranger Things' ending, Millie Bobby Brown is leaving Eleven behind and reprising her role as Enola. As you can see in the video above, I asked Brown about her character's penchant for speaking to the camera. That's when she told me:

The trailer for Enola Holmes 3 showcased how wildly charismatic MBB is while breaking the fourth wall, but it sounds like she's got notes about 2020 original movie. Namely where her eye line was the first time she played the young detective. Suddenly I'm feeling the need to re-watch the first two movies of this burgeoning franchise.

Millie Bobby Brown had been doing a ton of press for Enola Holmes 3, but she's also clearly looking back at the franchise's humble beginnings. She told me and co-star Louis Partridge that she caught herself looking just above the lens while narrating, rather than directly into it. Luckily she got more comfortable with this part of the role as her tenure as Sherlock's little sister continued.

Millie Bobby Brown pushed for Enola Holmes 3 to be more adult than the previous two installments, given how both she and her character have grown up. Indeed, the threequel has the title character preparing for her marriage to Lord Tewkesbury, which shows just how much time has passed since the first movie arrived on Netflix. The franchise is yet another example of how audiences have watche Brown grow up right before our eyes.

Enola Holmes' penchant for breaking the fourth wall is one of the best parts about the franchise, and makes me want to see the Damsel actress in a mockumentary. I mean, can you imagine her in something like The Paper, looking directly into the camera in the process? In the clip above she also name-dropped Fleabag, and now I want to see the show rebooted with her at the center. Are you listening, Phoebe Waller-Bridge?

Enola Holmes 3 will arrive on Netflix on July 1st as part of the 2026 movie release list. Hopefully this franchise will also continue with a fourth movie. Fingers crossed.

Game of Thrones was a HBO show that got the world talking, and fans have been brought back to Westeros with its spinoffs like House of the Dragon (streaming with a HBO Max subscription). The Season 3 premiere saw Henry Collett's Jace die at the Battle of the Gullet, and the second episode featured Rhaenyra's reaction to this devastating loss. And actor Emma D'Arcy explained to CinemaBlend and other outlets about why they "dreaded" filming the scene where Rhaenyra said goodbye to her son.

House of the Dragon Season 3 has already had a number of major character deaths, and smart money says the loss of Jacaerys is going to influence the season as a whole. While speaking to myself and other journalists in a round table interview, D'Arcy got real about why they were dreading filming Rhaenyra's reaction to Jace's dead body. In their words:

This really tracks. Because while we're only in the third season of the GOT spinoff, the House of the Dragon cast has been working together since back in 2021. And while character deaths have repercussions in the narrative of the series, it also means that actors who played those roles are also leaving the set. And that added extra emotional weight to Emma D'Arcy's final scene with Harry Collett's Jace.

While folks like to keep up with which HOTD dragon belongs to who, it's also fascinating hearing how the sausage gets made on set. And after speaking to my roundtable about why they dreaded the Jace goodbye scene, Emma D'Arcy spoke to how it'll affect their signature character throughout the rest of Season 3. In the actor's words:

Is it Sunday yet? Because with Rhaenyra now on the Iron Throne and seemingly leaning into nihilism, I can't wait to see what comes next for Emma D'Arcy in House of the Dragon Season 3. While Team Black was able to take King's Landing with minimal bloodshed, I'm sure the challenges are still coming. And after losing two songs (including her heir), I'm curious about how brutal Rhaenyra might end up becoming.

New episodes of House of the Dragon air Sundays on HBO as part of the 2026 TV schedule. The Dance of the Dragons is far from over, so I'm preparing for more character deaths-- both human and dragon.

In addition to serving as the first solo outing for Milly Alcock’s Kara Zor-El in the DCU, Supergirl also ushers in the debut of Lobo, played by the vivacious Jason Momoa. The reactions to the DC film have showered praise upon Momoa’s portrayal of the eccentric and violent bounty hunter and, at this point, the antihero seems to be striking a chord with fans. I’m particularly curious as to which major players Lobo will interact with next, and Momoa actually told CinemaBlend how he thinks Superman would respond to his character.

Lobo and Kara have a somewhat complex and humorous relationship, given that both of them find each other annoying on some level. However, without going into spoilers, they seem to find some level of mutual respect for each other by the end of the film. The Man of Steel is quite different from his cousin, of course, which is why CB asked Momoa how Superman might feel about Lobo. Ultimately, the fan-favorite actor’s take is as honest as it is humorous:

Honestly, I’m tempted to agree, as Kal-El and the “Main Man” are shown to have a somewhat tense relationship dynamic in comics and TV shows. My own first experience of seeing the two interact was in the DC Animated Universe via Superman: The Animated Series, in which Kal saw the motorcycle-riding Czarnian as more of a nuisance than anything else. Judging by Momoa’s comments, he’s of the belief that his character would bother Supes in the DCU as well:

Considering Superman’s strength and Lobo’s immortality, I’d say that would be quite a “tussle” for the ages. I really do hope, though, that David Corenswet’s Supes and Jason Momoa’s Last Czarnian do get the opportunity to cross paths in an upcoming DC movie. The question is just where and when that might happen. Given Momoa’s character is such a wild card, it’s hard to say where he might pop up next. The actor has revealed, though, that he’s open to doing a solo film – only on the condition that it’s rated R.

What I’ll say is that it would be a missed opportunity for Lobo not to return at some point and rub shoulders with the Big Blue Boy Scout or other major DC characters. The mere thought of Supes doing battle with the “Scourge o’ the Cosmos” is just too exciting not to consider. I’m confident that studio head James Gunn and co. will make that happen at some point but, until then, I’ll just remain satisfied that Jason Momoa achieved his dream of playing the cigar-chomping hitman.

Check out Lobo’s first appearance in the DCU by heading to a theater and checking out Supergirl. Also, grab an HBO Max subscription to check out Superman as well as the character’s DCAU-set show.

Spoilers ahead for House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 2.

Years after Game of Thrones' finale, audiences continue to be treated to new stories in Westeros thanks to spinoffs like House of the Dragon. Those with a HBO Max subscription were recently tread to Season 3's first two episodes, both of which ended in major character deaths. And actress Olivia Cooke spoke to CinemaBlend about what Alicent is thinking after seeing Rhaenyra on the Iron Throne... and her father Otto dead on the floor next to it.

House of the Dragon Season 3 has been a doozy so far, especially tragic moments like Jace's death in Episode 1. I had the chance to do some round table interviews with the the HOTD cast ahead of the season's premiere, where Cooke was asked what Alicent is thinking after seeing her father's dead body in the Throne Room. As she told me and other journalists:

Well, suddenly I am in dire need of Episode 3 to drop. Because while Alicent spent much of the first two episodes of Season 3 helping to make it easier for Rhaenerya and The Blacks to fly into King's Landing, the fact that her former best friend has now killed her father Otto Hightower is going to complicate things. Not only because of his death, but because of how much Alicent doesn't know about how/why he ended up imprisoned and decapitated.

While Rhaenerya and Alicent worked together to try and end their conflict with minimal bloodshed, that was before Otto was so brutally killed. There are clearly a ton of thoughts and questions going through the head of Cooke's character, and it should be fascinating to see if things go from bad to worse now that Alicent's father has been executed.

Alicent has really been going through it in Season 3 so far, starting from her wild kiss with Aemond and now walking into the Throne Room to see Otto's dead body. I have to assume that her uneasy alliance with Rhaenerya is officially over, especially since she's the one who beheaded her father. We'll just have to wait and see how Olivia Cooke's character is treated now that she's (presumably) a prisoner of Team Black.

New episodes of House of the Dragon air Sundays on HBO as part of the 2026 TV schedule. I was only given the first two in advance for my interviews, so I'm ready to tune in like every other fan and see how things shake out in the ongoing war.

As someone who grew up with Avatar: The Last Airbender and rewatched it many times, there are so many moments from the animated series that I wanted to see in live-action. Thankfully, Season 2 delivered quite a few of those, including a few silly scenes that are utterly irresistible. Actually, one of those funnier instances made it into Netflix’s adaptation in a more accurate way because the two actors who play Sokka and Katara fought for it.

Now, the moment I’m referring to is when Katara spooks a couple of guys, and Sokka proudly says “Water Tribe” as they leave in a cool way. I’ve always adored that scene between the siblings, and I was stoked when it found its way into the show on Netflix’s 2026 schedule. During an interview with CinemaBlend, Ian Ousley, who plays Sokka, told me that he and Kiawentiio, who plays Katara, fought to do it accurately too:

So, in the live-action adaptation’s second episode (you can stream it with a Netflix subscription), Aang, Katara and Sokka are exploring a new town and trying to get information. Before they go to the Earth Rumble, Katara said she got some info out of people, and her brother jokes that she probably did it with waterbending. We then see Katara making an “I’m watching you” motion at two people she froze together. When Sokka sees them, he proudly says “Water Tribe” while making the motion you can see below:

That moment is ripped straight out of the original show. In the sixth episode of the animated series’ second season (which you can stream on Netflix or with a Paramount+ subscription), Katara uses the same method to get information out of two boys. Later in the episode, the gang goes to talk to the guys again, and as they’re ending the conversation, Katara says, “I’ve got my eye on you” and makes the “I’m watching you” hand motion. Then Sokka says “Water Tribe” with the following motion:

As you can see, the two versions of this scene are very similar, and both highlight Katara’s strength and Sokka’s humor. It’s also just fun to do the “Water Tribe” thing with him. So, overall, I’m so happy Kiawentiio and Ousley fought to do the scene this way. Explaining how exactly they fought for it, the actors said:

• Kiawentiio: Yeah, and we filmed it both ways, and fought really hard to be able to capture it in a more of the original blocking.
• Ian Ousley: Yeah, like a closer adaptation to the original animated series.
• Kiawentiio: Yeah, and that's the one that ended up working best. So, it was really fun when we got to see that.

Along with seeing intense and sad Avatar moments come to life in live-action, I adore that the funnier lines and sequences made it in, too. I especially adore that the cast fought for them, because it proves just how much they care for and love the source material.

Now, to see this moment (and many others) in live-action, you can stream Season 2 of Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix.

Minor spoilers for Supergirl – which is currently playing in theaters – lie ahead.

For years now, comic book fans have loved the character of Kara Zor-El a.k.a. Supergirl, and understandably so. The character greatly differs from her cousin, Kal-El/Clark Kent (Superman), but they’re similar in that they both have a desire to serve up justice. Something that’s been noted for a while now though, is the fact that Kara’s superhero moniker includes the word “girl,” while Clark’s includes “man.” The term “Superwoman” is mentioned in Kara’s 2026 movie schedule entry, though, and CinemaBlend asked about what that meant.

During Supergirl, Milly Alcock’s Kara and Eve Ridley’s Ruthye Marye Knoll visit the planet Bilquis and, after their arrival, Ruthye questions Kara about her hero name. She questions Kara as to why she’s called “Supergirl” and her cousin is called “Superman,” opining that it would make more sense for her to be called “Superwoman.” While speaking to screenwriter Ana Nogueira, CinemaBlend asked about the use of the term “Superwoman” and whether there was ever a time amid development when the film had that title. Nogueira said:

Fans likely know Nogueira is right in that other DC Comics characters have gone by the name Superwoman. For starters, that name belongs to a main member of the Crime Syndicate of America (villainous counterparts of the Justice League from a parallel universe). And, at multiple points in time Lois Lane and Lana Lang took on the mantle of Superwoman after gaining powers. Within the DCU, Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane remains a journalist, but it would be cool to see her become a superpowered hero as well.

Personally, I think Kara will keep the name Supergirl in upcoming DC movies, but I could definitely be wrong there. In any case, I like the bit in the Superwoman bit in Kara’s solo film, and CB also asked Nogueira about how she landed on that:

Honestly, I can understand the Never Here alum’s eagerness to confront that question, as it represents a fair point, especially since Kara is over the age of 18. On the topic, Ana Nogueira also added a good point:

By all accounts, Nogueira approaches these DCU characters with a considerable amount of reverence, and she’s been mining the comics for guidance. To that point, she recently spoke about understanding Superman’s powerset and keeping that in mind while crafting her latest screenplay. Nogueira’s going to be spending a lot of time working within this universe, as she’s also writing the Teen Titans movie and penning the script for the Wonder Woman project.

I love a writer who’s committed to her craft, and I especially love one who’s not afraid of using her work to pose good questions regarding characters. So, even if Kara never becomes Superwoman, fans will always have the reminder that Ana Nogueira, James Gunn and the rest of the DCU team had the self awareness to call out the funny difference in superhero names.

When it comes to the 2026 movie release schedule, we might not see a better alien movie after Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day, but there’s something somewhat ironic I noticed while watching the alien-centric tale. In the entire 145-minute runtime, the word “alien” itself is never uttered by a single character. So, I had to ask the screenwriter about it.

During CinemaBlend’s interview with David Koepp, he confirmed with me that my observation about the word alien in Disclosure Day was very astute, and responded with:

I thought I might be on to something! Disclosure Day takes place in the modern-day United States in a very grounded context, and it sounds like the screenwriter wanted it to feel like the movie itself was taking the implications of life outside of Earth earnestly, and one reason they felt like they could was by not using the word “alien.”

Then, there’s the fact that the word “alien” has become a politically controversial word in the past few decades in references to U.S. immigrants. It makes sense why Koepp and Steven Spielberg might have wanted to distance themselves from the politics of the word “alien” and instead use other words to describe life beyond the species on our planet. I know, I definitely felt that it grounded the film.

Disclosure Day came from an idea Steven Spielberg had when following what was happening in 2023 around whistleblower David Grusch, who advocated for government transparency on UFOs after his experience as an intelligence officer for the U.S. Air Force. Grusch also deliberately chose not to use the word “alien” (or even “extraterrestrial”) when talking about his own claims in order to frame things away from sounding so science fiction.

Before Spielberg knew it, he had a 52-page treatment, whom he decided to send over to the screenwriter behind Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Koepp told us he was blown away by Spielberg’s ideas, and immediately thought it would work because the Disclosure Day ending already did straight away. Spielberg and Koepp’s collaboration ended up being an intense one that took 42 drafts to get right before production got started with the likes of Emily Blunt, Josh O'Connor, Colin Firth and Colman Domingo.

But it sounds like it’s worth it, given the high praise the movie has received before debuting at No. 1 at the box office a couple of weeks ago. It definitely feels like a carefully written script and the "alien" detail does make a difference. You can check out Disclosure Day for yourself in theaters now!

Spoilers for Avatar: The Last Airbender’s Season 2 finale (both the animated and live-action versions) are ahead! You can stream both shows with a Netflix subscription.

I’ve rewatched Avatar: The Last Airbender countless times, and every time I get to the end of Season 2, I am left with one burning question: Why did Zuko turn against Iroh and the Avatar? Literally, I’ve been pondering this since I was about 9 years old. So, I obviously had to ask Dallas Liu, who plays Zuko in the live-action adaptation, this question as the new version of the beloved animated show premiered on Netflix’s 2026 schedule.

At the end of Season 2, both in live-action and animation, Zuko makes a choice to fight alongside his sister Azula. They take on Aang and his team, and the season ends with the Avatar wounded and Iroh arrested. Considering the prince’s deep bond with his uncle and the heart-to-heart he had with Katara before all this, I’m always disappointed when he makes the choice to go with his sister instead. So, I wanted an explanation about why he did it. When I asked Liu about this, he joked:

While Liu was joking here, it really is one of Zuko’s main reasons for choosing to go with his sister.

Before he makes the choice in the live-action show, Azula shows a rare moment of emotion, as she apologizes for what happened to their mom and tells him that she would have wanted them to stay together and support each other. In the end, Azula said that Zuko could go home if he wanted to (which happens in the animated show, too), and he decides to go with the Fire Nation despite everything he’s been through.

Dallas Liu explained all this to me, too, while diving into the conversations Zuko had with Katara about their similar trauma and Azula about their mom. Explaining why his sister’s words had a bigger impact than Katara’s, the star of the live-action adaptation that just dropped on the 2026 TV schedule said:

He makes a valid point. While Azula is objectively evil, she and Zuko share the same trauma, and they get each other in ways no one else can. So, when she shows that vulnerability and says that he can come home, that hits really hard. Hammering that point home, Liu told me:

At this point, Zuko has been exiled for a very long time. He’s also changed a lot for the better, and that’s in great part because of Iroh. So, it’s really hard to see him go back to his old ways, and choose the Fire Nation, Azula and Ozai over his uncle and what’s right.

However, I also see why he did it. Despite how mean they are, the Fire Nation’s leaders are Zuko’s family. Of course, he’d still want them in his life. Plus, after being away from his home for so long, I get why he’d want to go back.

Also, this all plays into why Zuko’s character arc is so great. He’s flawed, and he has a rich history with the Fire Nation that makes his choices incredibly difficult and complex. If you’ve seen the animated series (which you can stream on Netflix or with a Paramount+ subscription), you know where this is headed next. And I cannot wait to see how Dallas Liu plays out Zuko’s return to the Fire Nation and what follows.

However, for now, I’ll be thinking about the choice he made at the end of Season 2, and I’ll be grateful that I finally have an answer to the question I’ve always had about why he decided to go with Azula.

Zoe Saldaña isn’t the queen of the worldwide box office by chance. The actress seriously worked for it, especially when it comes to portraying the iconic Neytiri for the Avatar movies. When CinemaBlend talked to the actress for Fire And Ash about playing the role for the past fifteen years, she flexed on all the things she can do now. And one really stands out.

The Skills Zoe Saldaña Learned For The Avatar Movies

Saldaña’s Na'vi role is done through performance capture, meaning that she actually does physically perform just about every moment in the film – she just looks very different from the final product we see on the big screen. Here’s what she told us about what she can do because of Neytiri:

What can’t she do? You can check out the interview moment in the clip below:

I’m pretty sure Saldaña could survive on her own in Pandora at this point. There’s one acquired skill she named that I want to talk about though.

I Love How One Of Her Skills Has A Neytiri Twist

As she said in our interview, she’s got solid archery proficiency, but it’s not the normal way one would shoot a bow and arrow. Zoe Saldaña knows how to be an archer “the Na’vi way”, which is sideways. What’s interesting about this little fun fact is that apparently shooting a bow and arrow this way is actually way harder and less precise than the typical way people do archery. So when she says she has good aim it's a really awesome flex. Especially, since she probably doesn’t have to target anything on set well if she doesn’t want to.

Zoe Saldaña has been playing Neytiri since she was 28 years old, and by her estimation she’ll be well into her fifties once the last one comes out. The Oscar winner just turned 48 last week, and the trilogy of movies has helped her become the highest-grossing actor of all time with her name on $15.46 billion across her lifetime so far.

Following Fire And Ash’s release during the holiday season, we’re not sure which direction Avatar will go next or if the franchise will “put on the brakes” after earning less money. Currently Avatar 4 and 5 are on the Disney movie release calendar for 2029 and 2031.

Right now you can see Zoe Saldaña’s Neytiri in the entire Avatar trilogy at home – on Disney+, digital or physical media.

Spoilers ahead for The Sheep Detectives, streaming now on Amazon Prime Video.

Kyle Balda's The Sheep Detectives hit theaters back in May and became a critical and box office success. The book to screen adaptation has plenty of hilarious comedic bits, but also told a moving story about grief. The movie is now streaming for those with an Amazon Prime subscription, and writer Craig Mazin spoke to CinemaBlend about why he thinks kids can handle its emotional narrative.

The Sheep Detectives is basically Babe meets Knives Out, with the titular animals helping to solve the murder of their shepherd George (Hugh Jackman). While its a funny concept, the sheep also explore the complex emotions that come with losing their caretaker. I had the chance to speak with Mazin and the cast ahead of the movie's release, where I asked the Last of Us writer if he was prepared to hear from young moviegoers in years from now who he made cry with the movie's touching script. He responded with:

Points were made. Every generation has a handful of movies and/or books that they remember crying over as a young person. For children of the '90s like me, Mufasa's death in The Lion King comes to mind. But while The Sheep Detectives might have a similar effect on young moviegoers nowadays, Mazin thinks the way art addresses those complicated emotions is something that is actually helpful. What's more, he thinks kids can handle the tears that might come from the movie.

While George's death is what kickstarts the adventure of The Sheep Detectives, it's not the only loss that might have audiences choking up. Because in the movie's third act Bryan Cranston's sheep Sebastian sacrifices himself to save Lily and Mopple from a pack of dogs. This forces Julia Louis-Dreyfus' character to face the losses she buried into her psyche throughout her life with George and the flock.

I also asked Louis-Dreyfus about The Sheep Detectives potentially affecting young audiences in particular. I name dropped The Lion King during our chat, and the Seinfield star responded by saying:

While death and grief are subject that might be hard for parents to talk about with young children, The Sheep Detectives actually offers the language and story that can help open up these conversations. And for those who have experienced loss, it was a surprisingly accurate portrayal of the grieving process. Add in the many laughs that buoy the movie, and it's a project that the whole family can enjoy.

The Sheep Detectives is streaming on Amazon Prime Video as part of the 2026 movie release list. I'd definitely recommend watching it if you didn't catch the movie in theaters... even if you might need some tissues.

Universal Orlando Resort is getting ready to celebrate its 35th anniversary in a big way this spooky season by making us feel like we’re locked inside some of the best horror movies. The theme park has already announced Sinners will have its own house and we've learned we’ll be able to relive the final season of Stranger Things. I can’t wait for those scares, but now we have new word about one of the original houses, and it’s the scariest, and most unexpected house announcement yet. Also allegedly among "the bloodiest" this season.

The latest confirmed house set to be on Universal Orlando Resort’s Halloween Horror Nights 2026 lineup is called Madlands: Caged Cannibals. Guys... cannibals!??! I'm screaming already. It's the third original house announced this year alongside Jack and Oddfellow: Chaos and Control and H.R. Bloodengutz Presents: A Halloween Fright-Tacular.

CinemaBlend had the chance to speak to Lora Sauls, who is the resort’s assistant director of entertainment creative development, about the new house, and she told me a lot about how the idea came about and why they think it'll be a "home run" with people in the parks.

Typically, half of HHN's houses consist of non-IP haunts, and after Sauls described Madlands to me, I completely understand why they're particularly hyped about this one. It's a shocker in the best way. Plus, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre houses are already incredibly popular whenever they have them, and now Universal Orlando Resort the chance to put their own memorable spin on the cannibal sub-genre of horror. As Sauls explained:

When guests enter Madlands, they’ll be transported to a fictional dystopian world where a tribe of cannibals take on the traits of zoo animals when hunting their prey. And guys, we are the prey. Per Sauls, the tribe of cannibals we'll meet in Madlands have been inspired by what they imagine zoo animals to be like, but since animals have gone extinct, they are only operating on an idea. It's also apparently one of the more hardcore houses this year – which means it’s going to be one people are going to be talking about!

Sauls also said she’s really proud of this one from a production point of view, pointing out the “scenic aesthetic” of it. She encourages fans to go at a slow-but-steady pace through it, but I just know this one is really going to trigger some serious fears. I'm already stressing out about it and I'm nowhere near a theme park gate yet. Of course, I was curious about the smells in this one; the Universal Orlando Resort's assistant director teased there’s some “interesting” ones to get ready for. Hope you brought a clothespin.

If you’ve been craving (pun intended) a really scary haunted house at Universal Orlando Resorts’s Halloween Horror Nights, Madlands sounds like it will have the kind of intensity you might be searching for. The announcement comes at a perfect time in the HHN lineup in my opinion, too. I always want something to get me into my fears, and Madlands might be that house this year.

Tickets are now on sale at Universal Orlando Resort’s website with the theme park event running from August 28 until November 1.

It’s a big year for Universal theme parks, as Epic Universe celebrated its first anniversary, and now Universal Kids Resort — a park geared toward families with young children — is set to make its grand opening. Featuring seven different lands themed around kid-favorite movies like Shrek and Trolls, Universal Kids has been specifically created for ages 3 to 8, though all ages are welcome.

In fact, I was able to take my 11-year-old to visit Universal Kids Resort ahead of its July 1 opening, and not only was there plenty for her to do, she absolutely loved the experience — in spite of the intense Texas heat! Let’s take a look at 3 things she wasn’t able to stop talking about.

Staying At Universal Kids Resort Is A Treat For All Ages

Universal Kids Resort is located in Frisco, Texas, (just north of Dallas), and even though that’s in my neck of the woods, it was totally worth it to actually stay in one of the hotel’s 300 rooms. My daughter couldn’t agree more. First of all, the decor is so bright and colorful, you can’t help but get excited for what’s in store.

After checking in (and taking pictures with SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick, who greeted us in the lobby), we made our way through the rainbow tunnel, up the elevator and down the brilliantly colored hallways, and that was when things really got "fire" for my 11-year-old.

The room itself was so cute, offering a queen-size bed for parents and bunk beds for kids (suites are available that sleep up to six guests). My daughter immediately climbed the ladder to the top bunk and posed for photos in front of the colorful walls. Our room even included a view of the park, and we spent a long time looking out, identifying the different universes we could see and planning which rides we wanted to hit first the next day.

As far as the hotel amenities, they keep it simple with a cafe (with a bar), a pool (with lifeguards) and a small arcade, but for me the best part of staying at the resort was being mere steps away from the park the next day — as well as being able to easily head back to our room when we needed a break.

I spoke to Sharon Parker, director of marketing and sales for Universal Kids Resort, and she pointed out a couple of other advantages that parents might find interesting:

After experiencing the resort, I’m not sure my daughter would let us return to Universal Kids and not stay overnight.

Jurassic World Adventure Camp Had The Best Rides For My Pre-Teen

Because Universal Kids is for the younger crowd, the thrills are mild compared to other theme parks. There are no big drops and nothing goes upside down, but I was pleasantly surprised at how many rides my 11-year-old — who typically jumps on the biggest roller coasters without a second thought — wanted to go on.

For her money, Jurassic World Adventure Camp offered the best experience. The Cretaceous Coaster was her favorite ride in the whole park, offering a slightly more thrilling experience than the other kids coaster, Rhonda’s TrollsFest Express. Take a closer look at the Cretaceous Coaster below:

Elsewhere in the dino-filled land, Mr. DNA’s Double Helix Spin was a hit, and she got to burn off some energy running around the Jurassic World Lookout Towers. A couple of other ride highlights were the Swings Over Del Mar in the Puss in Boots land, Bobbing Barrels in Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants Bikini Bottom, and the Minions’ Bello Bay Cruise, which is a must-do.

Parents be warned, you will get wet on those last two, but you probably won’t mind in that Texas heat.

Kids Will Flip Over The Triple Gooberberry Sunrise (And The Chicken Strips)

There are snack and meal options all over Universal Kids, naturally, but if you’re looking for one of the wildest treats, you’ve got to hit up Goofy Goober's in the SpongeBob universe for the Triple Gooberberry Sunrise ice cream sundae.

This delicacy from The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie gave my tween the sugar rush she needed to keep going, as it is described as: "Vanilla & chocolate ice cream, strawberry Dole Whip, chocolate fudge, with crushed smore’s cookies crumble and strawberry Pop-Tarts pieces, whipped topping, banana, and a cherry on top."

To get this monstrosity in the souvenir cup, it’ll put you out $19.99, but come on mom, it’s vacation!

I loved that there were options for both adventurous little eaters and pickier ones, and even your typical snacks like soft pretzels were given the Universal treatment:

Also, if your kids are chicken tender aficionados like mine, the ones at Universal Kids Resort definitely made the grade. In fact, my 11-year-old raved about them so much, I stole a bite when she ordered them a second time, and it truly was tastier than it had any right to be.

If you go the chicken route, allow me to recommend the Jurassic World Canteen, where the Dinosaur Bites set a full scene with dino nuggets atop a mashed potato volcano, complete with barbecue sauce lava. Broccoli trees surround them, making for the perfect prehistoric meal.

Universal Kids Resort’s opening is one of the most exciting theme park events in 2026 for how it caters to the whims of young children first, but my experience proved that there’s something there for kids (and kids at heart) of all ages. Teens, tweens and adults may not be able to find the thrill rides they seek in other parks, but they might just be surprised at what fun they can have while accompanying their children or younger siblings.

Universal Kids Resort in Frisco, Texas, opens Wednesday, July 1, coinciding with the 2026 movie release of Minions & Monsters.

Spoilers ahead for the Season 3 premiere of House of the Dragon.

House of the Dragon is the first spinoff for Game of Thrones, following its controversial finale. Folks with an HBO Max subscription were recently treated to the premiere of Season 3, which started off with a bang with the epic Battle of the Gullet. The epic scene saw the death of both Jace and his dragon Vermax, although actor Harry Collett explained why he wasn't upset about his time on the show ending.

After a long wait, House of the Dragon Season 3 has finally begun. The book to screen adaptation has taken some liberties from the source material, including the details about how Jacaerys died. I had the chance to speak with the cast in round table interviews ahead of its premiere, where Collett shared his POV on his character perishing in the season premiere. In his words:

While HOTD fans who didn't read the book were shocked by Jace's death in the Battle of the Gullett, the same cannot be said for the actor who brought Rhaenyra's son to life on the small screen. He's been emotionally preparing for his time on the show to end, and just seems happy that he was able to join the House of the Dragon cast at all. And smart money says this twist is going to have major implication for the rest of the season.

It's fitting that Collett did all of his dead scenes at the end of his tenure filming House of the Dragon, and one can only imagine how emotional it was on set. Later in the same interview, the 22 year-old actor gushed about his character's ending on the show, saying:

There you have it. Some fans might be bummed about Jace's fate, but that seemingly isn't the case for Harry Collett. He loved how it all turned out, including his character and the dragon Vermax being tragically killed by the Triarchy's forces. We'll just have to wait and see if the actor returns at any point; we'e seen visions/dreams bring back former characters already on the series.

House of the Dragon airs new episodes Sundays on HBO as part of the 2026 TV schedule. Smart money says that Jace won't be the only major character death to come this season.

Spoiler alert! This story reveals plot points in Toy Story 5...Consider yourself warned.

Toy Story has done it again… yes, it's made me ball my eyes out. Toy Story 5 is the latest installment in the Toy Story franchise and there has been a lot of buzz (pun intended) around this highly-anticipated 2026 movie release. In my opinion, it has quickly become one of the best entries in the series. The story is filled with comedy and emotional moments that will have audiences (OK, me) reaching for tissues. However, there is one scene in particular that I cannot stop thinking about: The moment Jessie walks into her original child's bedroom after being donated years prior.

Toy Story 5 follows the beloved yodeling cowgirl Jessie, voiced by Joan Cusack, as technology threatens to take over Bonnie’s bedroom, and playtime is at risk for her and the other toys. Bonnie has been struggling to make friends, so her parents—one of whom is voiced by ‘Pixar’s Mom’ favorite Lori Alan— buy her a Lilypad device to connect with others. The problem is the device doesn’t know Bonnie the way Jessie does, so Jessie sets out to help Bonnie form a real friendship.

After being ditched by Bonnie in favor of Lilypad at a sleepover, Jessie and Bullseye find themselves, through a series of events, at the home of her original owner, Emily. Suddenly, Jessie is back in the first bedroom she ever called home, where a young girl named Blaze now lives.

Ahead of Toy Story 5, I had the opportunity to speak with Joan Cusack during a recent Walt Disney World event, and I had to ask her what it was like revisiting Jessie’s first bedroom and seeing the tire swing again. The actress admitted the experience was emotional:

We first met Jessie in Toy Story 2, where we learned she was abandoned by Emily, and it was painful. I have to admit, seeing Jessie end up under Blaze’s bed was a bit triggering for me. For a moment, I worried we might never hear our girl “yeehaw” again.

Fortunately, Jessie has a purpose, and that purpose is helping Bonnie make a friend. For Cusack, it was also "moving."

The scene feels sad, cathartic, painful, and hopeful all at once. As Jessie walks back into Emily's bedroom, we're carrying the same fears she is. There's a sense of dread tied to the memories of her abandonment, but also the possibility of closure—and something new waiting on the other side.

Perhaps that's why I can't stop thinking about it. We've spent decades watching Jessie slowly heal from the heartbreak of being left behind. Andy and Bonnie are a part of that journey, but it isn't until she finally confronts her past that she can, in Cusack's own words, begin to truly heal. Toy Story 5 is in theaters now.

Spoilers ahead for Leviticus.

The summer is usually a great time for scary movies, and both Obsession and Backrooms have crushed at the box office. We've got another horror movie in theaters now just in time for Pride Month: director Adrian Chiarella's Leviticus. The movie is a moving and chilling queer story, and its ending leaves audiences with some questions. Luckily Naim actor Joe Bird spoke to CinemaBlend about his take on the film's conclusion.

Leviticus' reviews have been rather positive, with critics praising its scares and emotional narrative. The movie follows two young gay boys in Australia, who are cursed and then attacked by a violent entity that takes the form of the person they're most attracted to. The movie's final shot shows Naim and his love interest Ryan (Stacy Clausen) choosing to stay with each other when leaving their conservative town... despite the entity still being out there. As you can see in the video above, I asked Bird what he thought of the movie's ending, and he told me:

I love this perspective. The messaging of Leviticus' ending is something that will likely ring true for plenty of LGBTQ+ folks out there. Because while there are plenty of terrifying and hateful forces in this world, many of us decide to push forward and find happiness regardless. In this way, the horror movie serves as an allegory about the coming out experience, and overcoming the dangers of homophobia.

Later in our conversation Joe Bird, who also starred in the terrifying horror movie Talk To Me, went on to share more about why the ending of Leviticus is such an important message. In the 19 year-old actor's words:

Points are made. While Naim and Ryan will likely still have to look out for the dangers of the entity when they're alone with each other, it's much better than the alternative. And since the young lovers are going through the same struggle, they'll be able to understand each other in a way any new people in their lives will not. I personally would love to see a Leviticus sequel sometime in the future.

Most of the best horror movies have something original to say, and Adrian Chiarella's new release is no exception. Its release during Pride Month have given it additional emotional weight. Luckily there's plenty of queer joy in the movie's 88-minute runtime, in addition to its scary moments.

Leviticus is in theaters now as part of the 2026 movie release list. Lots of LGBTQ+ cinephiles love horror, so I imagine that the discourse about its ending will only get louder as time goes on.

Spoilers ahead for the Season 3 premiere of House of the Dragon.

Despite Game of Thrones' controversial finale, Westeros is so back for those with a HBO Max subscription. Following the first season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, House of the Dragon Season 3 has officially begun, with more major characters already kicking the bucket. The premiere also featured another wild incest plot, and Olivia Cooke spoke to CinemaBlend and other outlets about what was on in Alicent's head when her son Aemond kissed her.

HOTD has had tons of incest in the first two seasons, as House Targaryen isn't hung up by relatives getting together. We've seen both siblings and cousins get married, but the Season 3 premiere shocked fans when Aemond kissed his mother Alicent out of nowhere. CinemaBlend did a roundtable interview with the cast about the first two episodes, where Cooke revealed what he character is thinking during this already-viral moment. As she put it:

While House of the Dragon fans need to keep up with which dragon belongs to who, the interpersonal relationships between its cast can also be mystifying. Case in point: Aemond kissing Alicent, who seems as shocked as the audience was. And Olivia Cooke's comments offer some much-needed context, revealing how few options her signature character has when dealing with this incestuous connection.

Despite being a Targaryen by marriage, Alicent is a Hightower at heart who deeply worships The Faith of the Seven. You can see the confusion and fear in her face when her son kisses her, but she ultimately hides that in order to get Aemond on her side and out of King's Landing. She succeeds in this, and it should be fascinating to see how the two characters' relationship changes moving forward.

Olivia Cooke also addressed this wild scene during the Inside The Episode video for HOTD's Season 3 premiere. The actress offered:

Honestly, same. But Aemond is one of the most volatile characters in House of the Dragon, and has arguably the most powerful dragon of them all in Vhagar. And this is yet another reason to fear what he'll do in the ongoing war against The Blacks.

House of the Dragon airs new episodes Sundays on HBO as part of the 2026 TV schedule. And it seems like no character is safe from the Dance of the Dragons.

Spoilers ahead for the Season 3 premiere of House of the Dragon.

Despite Game of Thrones' controversial finale, fans have returned to Westeros thanks to the spinoffs A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and House of the Dragon. The latter is finally back for Season 3, and the book to screen adaptation started off with an epic battle for those with a HBO Max subscription. The Battle of the Gullet was awesome, and the way it was shot is truly blowing my mind.

House of the Dragon Season 3 is here, and the showrunner had been teasing The Battle of the Gullet for a while now. The event was largely a naval fight, although a few of HOTD's Dragons got involved in the air as well. I had the chance to speak with the show's cast in round table interviews, where Baela Targaryen actress Bethany Antonia revealed how the dragon riders were kept in the loop. As she put it:

Talk about attention to detail. While it would have been easy to ask the actors who were riding on dragon back to simply imagine what's happening below them when filming, that's not what House of the Dragon did. Instead, they were given the full scope of the sequence, allowing them to visualize the crazy Battle of the Gullet and act appropriately to bring their part of it to life.

Later in that same conversation, Antonia shared more about just how much work went into the dragon rider's POV for House of the Dragon's Season 3 premiere battle. In her words:

"Dragons gone wrong" would also work as an alternate title for House of the Dragon, and especially that first episode of Season 3. Because in the midst of the naval conflict Baela arrived on Moondancer, Jace showed up with Vermax and then (in a plot twist) Rhaena flew in on Sheepstealer. Unfortunately the latter's decision was a huge misstep, because the wild dragon didn't obey her commands. And the episode ended with yet another major character death.

House of the Dragon airs new episodes Sundays on HBO as part of the 2026 TV schedule. We'll have to see how many more epic battles and dragon fights happen throughout the following episodes.

SPOILERS are ahead for Girls Like Girls, now in theaters!

When it comes to book-to-screen adaptations, we’re used to changes from the source material freaking out fans. But sometimes a different take on the same story for another medium is exactly what the story needs. For example, Hayley Kiyoko’s Girls Like Girls movie is missing one key moment from the novel's (and music video’s) ending; there’s actually a very specific reason why.

Hayley Kiyoko’s Girls Like Girls vision all started with her 2015 pop anthem of the same name. She then turned the song into a music video that went viral and had fans calling for a movie about the video's pair, Coley and Sonya. Since then, she’s been working on adapting it for the big screen, but before that, she turned it into the New York Times bestselling YA novel. Now it's finally here, as one of 2026’s movie releases, and she's “proud” of how she adapted things – even though one unexpected change came up during post-production. In our interview with Kiyoko, she said this of the ending:

Kiyoko is talking about the fight that breaks out between Coley and Trent, whom Sonya has had an on-again, off-again relationship with, in previous iterations of the story. The writer/director even filmed the fight on the set of the latest LGBTQ+ movie, but ultimately decided that she wanted to center the conclusion of the film on its coming-of-age lesbian relationship rather than another guy. As she continued:

Girls Like Girls is Hayley Kiyoko’s first time directing a feature film after spending years helming her own music videos and trying to turn the pop anthem into a movie. When it comes to book adaptations, it’s not very often that the author is also the director. How cool is it that she trusted her gut to tell the story slightly differently and make the kind of changes that felt right for the film all this time later?

Without the violent moment becoming a focal point of Sonya and Coley finally becoming girlfriends, the movie ending is more about Sonya trying to accept her queer identity and Coley being there for her. The last scene is a sweet poolside moment between them instead. Trent is still very much part of the Girls Like Girls movie, but Coley doesn’t need to fight him to get the girl this time, and that's a change the director loved.

Milly Alcock already has a solid level of notoriety, thanks to her work on House of the Dragon. However, the Australian actress’ public profile could soar to new heights, thanks to her 2026 movie schedule entry, Supergirl. The latest film in the DCU sees Alcock play Kara Zor-El (following her wild cameo in Superman). Alcock recently spoke about being terrified over the prospect of finding more fame after her solo superhero movie debut, and she discussed working with co-star Jason Momoa, who’s definitely no stranger to stardom.

I’d imagine that starring in a superhero-centric movie can be a double-edged sword. That’s because, while it’s likely satisfying when said film is successful, that buzz can also put additional attention on the actors involved. Stars who play comic book-birthed characters can gain particularly strong followings due to their roles (à la Robert Downey and Iron Man or Gal Gadot and Wonder Woman). Milly Alock recently spoke to SFX Magazine on CinemaBlend and, after being asked if she was ready to be “idolized,” she said this:

I can understand the trepidation, as that’s a lot of pressure for a person to handle. And that’s just taking into account the more positive aspects of being in such a position. Unfortunately, there’s also considerable toxicity that can come with fandoms and, sadly enough, many female actors, in particular, are subjected to such negativity. Still, Alcock has a great outlook on dealing with toxic fandoms, and I’d like to think she’ll be prepared for any praise that comes her way following the release of her upcoming DC movie.

Thankfully, Momoa – who plays eccentric bounty hunter Lobo in the film – has been in Alcock’s shoes. In 2018, the Hawaiian actor found “baffling” new levels of fame after starring in Aquaman, which made over $1 billion at the worldwide box office. In the years since the film hit theaters, Momoa has discussed fame and how blessed he feels to have found it later in life due to having been able to be with his kids when they were younger.

The star enjoys his work, though and, per Alcock’s comments, he was a positive force on the Supergirl set. She explained:

Momoa was enthusiastic about taking on his previous DC role, but he seems downright thrilled to be playing the “Main Man.” Getting cast as Lobo was a longtime dream for the A-lister, and he seems to be making the most of it. He’s also addressed the notion of someone else playing Aquaman at some point, and he believes anything is possible on that front. There may come a time when someone else also plays Kara at some point in the future, but I’d wager that’s a ways off since Milly Alcock’s tenure is just getting started. Here’s hoping her stint as the Girl of Steel is marked with positivity and not too much stress from being looked up to by fans.

Supergirl opens in theaters on June 26, and those eager to see it can grab tickets now. Also, check out other DCU movie and TV installments by streaming them with an HBO Max subscription.

Major spoilers for Toy Story 5 lie ahead!

Toy Story movies have been in my life for 30 years now and, in that time, one particularly emotional sequence has never left my brain. In Toy Story 2, we meet Jessie, who had a previously special relationship with a girl named Emily before she grew too old for her, and Jessie was donated to charity. I never expected we’d get closure for Jessie’s backstory, but then Toy Story 5 became part of the 2026 movie schedule. And, as I (and CinemaBlend learned) one of the film's most affecting Jessie scenes wasn't initially planned.

In the latest Toy Story sequel, Jessie, who’s voiced by Joan Cusack, ends up at the home where Emily previously lived. Late in the movie, the doll finds a remnant of her former owner's later life after she was donated, and it comes right as the character needs it. Jessie finds a lunch box belonging to Emily's daughter, who happens to be named Jessie and referred to as her mother's "little cowgirl." I definitely felt the tears well up as Jessie realized just how much she truly impacted Emily's life.

Fans may find it hard to believe that full-circle scene was only added at the last minute. During CinemaBlend’s Toy Story interviews, the filmmakers told us about how the scene came about. Per co-writer Kenna Harris:

It’s actually wild to me that this Toy Story 5 moment wasn’t originally in the script originally, because it really feels like the emotional center of the film to me. In a separate interview, co-writer/director Andrew Stanton told us that exploring Jessie's backstory further was the jumping off point for the sequel for him, but the idea of Jessie inspiring the name of Emily’s child didn’t come until later. As producer Lindsey Collins added:

When Toy Story 5 starts, Jessie is dealing with the trauma of being pulled away from Emily as she watches her new person, Bonnie, get sucked into technology and cease to play with her toys. So, when Bonnie initially decides to desert Jessie in the third act of the film due to peer pressure, Jessie is ready to give up on being a toy out of sadness. However, when she learns of Emily’s daughter, she feels validated by how much she meant to Emily after all. As Harris also told us:

Pixar movies take many years to make, and famously go through a lot of changes throughout their production cycles. Stanton, for example, told us that when he first wrote Toy Story 5 he did so without Woody before deciding he wanted him in the movie. It took awhile to land on the emotional Jessie scene, but I’m so happy they did. Collins also said this:

I’m not the only one who loves how Toy Story 5 turned out, as it’s earning rave reviews from critics and positive reactions from general audiences. Honestly, it's wild to me that we’re on the fifth Toy Story film and the quality of the storytelling hasn't been diminished. As far as I’m concerned, the franchise doesn’t need to end as long as the filmmakers continue to come up with worthwhile ideas. It's thanks to that continued creative inspiration that I'll be thinking about this sweet Emily revelation for quite some time.

Check out Toy Story 5 in theaters now, and stream the first four installments using a Disney+ subscription.

Colin Farrell seems like he’s impervious to joining movies and TV shows that don’t have extremely impressive casts, and his crime-thriller mystery Sugar is another notch in his belt of successes on that front. The noir-leaning series, whose Season 2 premiere is now available to stream via Apple TV subscription, is bringing in Better Call Saul great Tony Dalton for Sugar to tangle with, and I talked to the showrunner Sam Catlin and executive producer Audrey Chon about the latest stellar casting choice.

To be sure, Sugar cemented its connection to Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul in Season 1 just by having Catlin as one of its creative forces. Catlin was an EP and writer on Vince Gilligan’s flagship drama — he penned my absolute favorite ep, “Crawlspace” — and presumably had a big hand in getting Anna Gunn (Skyler White) and Dennis Boutsikaris (Rich Schweikart) cast for Season 1. So I had to ask how prevalent Dalton’s role as Lalo Salamanca was in influencing his Sugar casting. According to Catlin:

To his point, Sugar has utilized Saul director Michael Morris for Season 2, as well as camera operator Matt Credle (who worked on BCS and the film El Camino) and Marshall Adams (cinematographer on all three aforementioned Gilligan creations, as well as Pluribus). I think it also helps just a little that the Apple TV series also boasts BB and BCS’ casting directors Sharon Bialy and Sherry Thomas.

But even if none of those details were actually true, it would still make all the sense in the world to bring Tony Dalton into the dark and crime-laden world that Sugar is maneuvering his way through after choosing not to accompany his fellow E.T.s back to their home planet in Season 1. (It’s almost too easy to forget about the first season’s huge game-changing twist.)

Dalton portrays Ray Vega, a lieutenant within the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. But despite technically being on the same side of the law as John Sugar, the early promos definitely make him look like an antagonistic roadblock for Farrell's character. It's a change from Season 1, and when I asked Catlin about using the actor as the season's big bad, he told me:

At this point, EP Audrey Chon chimed in to clarify that locking down the Texas native for the role wasn't a question at all. As she put it:

I got giddy just hearing about his casting however many months ago that was, so I can only imagine how excellent it must have been to have him on the set and mixing it up with Farrell and possibly with other Season 2 stars such as Shea Wigham, Raymond Lee, Jin Ha, Sasha Calle and Laura Donnelly.

Watch the Season 2 trailer below to see Tony Dalton making his way into John Sugar's life.

Fans have already seen Tony Dalton pop up on the 2026 TV schedule as Daredevil: Born Again’s Jack Duquesne, a.k.a. Swordsman, but even though he’s wearing a cop uniform instead of a vigilante costume in Sugar, I don’t think his character Ray Vega is that much better of a human being, morally speaking.

Speaking of Breaking Bad and El Camino, Aaron Paul was revealed to be in DCU’s Clayface, which is in a different reality from Farrell’s Penguin and Matt Reeves’ Batman movies, but still seems like a run piece of connective tissue between all these projects. (To bring it all together, Catlin co-developed AMC's Preacher adaptation, which was originally pubbed by DC Vertigo.)

The first episode of Sugar Season 2 is now available to stream, with new installments hitting Apple TV on Fridays.

In the new A24 movie, The Death of Robin Hood, Hugh Jackman rocks a long grey wig as he plays the older version of the titular character, and it’s honestly amazing how well it holds up. In a film full of brutal violence, dirty sequences and intense locations, I figured the wig might not be easy to work with. However, the actor told me the hairpiece actually held up really well; it was his fake beard that was the problem.

Now, Hugh Jackman is no stranger to wigs and fun hairstyles. For example, he’s rocked that iconic Wolverine hairdo on many occasions, and his long hair in Song Sung Blue was pretty incredible. In The Death of Robin Hood, which just premiered on the 2026 movie schedule, he has long grey hair that helps us better understand how tough yet worn down his character is. Speaking to how they developed this standout wig, Jackman told me:

Well, clearly, they worked out how to do it, as you can see in the BTS images Jackman posted on his Instagram. The actor looks totally different with the long grey hair. As a viewer, I thought this look was fantastic, and it helped make The Death of Robin Hood an even more immersive experience.

Now, in the fairly well-reviewed Death of Robin Hood, Jackman has to perform multiple brutal fight sequences, one of which memorably involves a ton of mud. His wigs (for the most part) made it through it, too. While he mentioned that they “destroyed” a few of them, overall, his character’s hair held up. However, the beard was a different story, as the Logan actor explained:

It must be a very bizarre feeling to be in the mud, in the midst of a fight scene, and realize your fake beard has fallen off. I also imagine that has to get annoying.

Also, this makes me wonder how many fake beards they had on hand. Jackman mentioned that they went through a couple of wigs. I’d imagine the same is true for the beard too.

Overall, despite the fake beard falling off and having to be taped to The Greatest Showman actor's face, his look is incredible. Robin Hood looks rugged and strong, and that’s in part thanks to the wig and beard. Thankfully, the wig held up in the elements…the beard…that was a different story, but a very entertaining one nonetheless.

Now, if you want to see Hugh Jackman and his wig and beard in action, you can catch The Death of Robin Hood in theaters right now.

This story contains spoilers for Season 1, Episode 6 of Dutton Ranch. You can stream it with a Paramount+ subscription and catch new episodes on Fridays.

As we wait for new episodes of Dutton Ranch to drop on the 2026 TV schedule, I’m still reeling over how Jamie Dutton was mentioned in Episode 6. With one savage name-drop by Beulah, the Dutton family’s murky history was brought into the game on this new spinoff. So, I had to ask the cast about it, and Joaquin actor Juan Pablo Raba told me why he loved this Yellowstone reference.

In Episode 6, Beth and Beulah were discussing “wayward sons,” and that’s how the Jackson matriarch brought Jamie Dutton into the conversation. In a cool and calm manner, Annette Bening’s character didn’t just bring up Wes Bentley’s Yellowstone lawyer; she also made sure that Kelly Reilly’s Dutton knew that she was aware of Jamie’s suspicious disappearance. Without overexplaining anything or making a direct threat, she showed Beth that she’s here for a fight. That’s why Juan Pablo Raba loved that moment too, as he told me:

Raba also referenced a scene in Episode 2 where Joaquin tells his mother that the property they wanted was sold to “that Montana couple, the late governor’s daughter.” He knew they were from Montana, and that line implied that he was aware of their history and baggage too.

So, between that and the Jamie name drop, it’s obvious that the Jacksons are not clueless when it comes to Rip and Beth. They use that knowledge too, as the Joaquin actor said:

As someone who loved the original series, it's always exciting to see how the end of Yellowstone weighs on Dutton Ranch. I also love that the Jackson family hasn’t immediately used that information. They’ve dropped it here and there, and now, it’s like we’re waiting for them to pounce.

It’s clear to me that Beth has met her match with Beulah, and I’m looking forward to seeing how she and Joaquin, who is notably easy to compare to Jamie, use what they know against Beth and Rip. However, what I’m most excited to see is how the beloved couple from Montana fight back as they work to outplay this family that seems to be a lot more evil than they let on.

Reviews for The Death of Robin Hood compared it to Logan, and rightfully so. Both movies see Hugh Jackman playing an older, more hardened and reflective version of very iconic characters. They also both feature absolutely brutal action. However, when it came to filming these two projects, they were quite different, which the director revealed as he spoke about how Jackman’s experience with Marvel and more helped them pull off the action in this new A24 movie.

As someone who has watched the Marvel movies in order and seen every film where Jackman plays Wolverine, I know that he knows how to kill these scenes. So, ahead of The Death of Robin Hood’s release on the 2026 movie schedule, I asked its director, Michael Sarnoski, how his star’s history with action was useful for this project. In response, he recalled how little time they had to make this movie, and how Jackman’s background helped them pull everything off in such a short amount of time:

To put that into perspective, let’s compare The Death of Robin Hood’s production time to Logan’s (which you can stream with a Disney+ subscription). It took about three months to film that Marvel movie, per IMDb, whereas this new project took one month.

Plus, it’s well known that a lot of time and thought go into shooting meticulous Marvel action sequences. They didn’t have that kind of time on The Death of Robin Hood; they had a night for each, as Sarnoski explained:

The action in The Death of Robin Hood is astounding. The visceral nature of it reminded me (and the critics) a lot of Logan, and Jackman performed it all spectacularly.

That totally makes sense, too. Hugh Jackman started playing Wolverine in 2000, and his last outing as Logan came in 2024. Based on Marvel movies alone, he’s got quite the action resume. He’s also stayed in great shape for decades and maintained that for The Death of Robin Hood. That helped immensely when it came to filming the brutal moments, because they were able to accomplish them under an intense time constraint.

Now, to see Hugh Jackman in action, you can catch The Death of Robin Hood in theaters on June 19.

It’s hard to believe it’s been over 15 years since Toy Story 3 came out and emotionally wrecked audiences. Like so many people, I’ll never forget how the movie perfectly capped off the story of a bunch of toys and their person, Andy, as he officially leaves childhood behind and goes off to college. It was the perfect ending for the franchise, but then a fourth movie came out, and now Toy Story 5 is the latest upcoming Disney movie on the way. Is the franchise officially past calling it quits now?

I decided to ask Andrew Stanton this very question: Will Toy Story ever reach a final conclusion? He's been a creative voice behind the scenes on every Toy Story movie and is the director behind the latest, and he says the nature of toys is that they can be passed along, at least for a good while.

So, as long as audiences turn up for a new Toy Story movie and the creatives over at Pixar continue to be inspired by the property, we’re not going to have to say farewell to this franchise. For how long? As his Toy Story 5 co-writer Kenna Harris added:

Pixar made an all-time great trilogy with the first three Toy Story movies, but as Andrew Stanton has said to haters of future Toy Story sequels: “nobody’s being robbed of their trilogy” and they don’t have to watch more if they don’t want to. Since Toy Story 3, they’ve found a way to continue the storyline through their move to Bonnie's room. I'm also happy to hear this movie in particular is already booming with positive reviews (save one) from critics who are calling it “a smart examination of evolving technology and its effect on children." It's "heart" and "conviction" are also being called out in reviews.

It’s certainly not easy or common for a movie to reach five films, and it's especially surprising to do this many with such high acclaim. Yet,Toy Story keeps proving its capable because the Pixar creatives keep finding new ways to keep these iconic characters around and expand the world of toys they’ve built.

This time around, the movie finally gives Jessie the center stage to explore her origins (and has added a sweet new Taylor Swift track to go along with it). In our interview with Tom Hanks, he got candid about being hesitant about Toy Story 5 before he learned the concept behind the movie. The animated flick tackles how technology is affecting children growing up nowadays.

I’m so curious about how Pixar will go from here after this new installment. Or will this one be the last after all? Either way, I personally find it nice that it's been kicking around for thirty years and new films get to be enjoyed by other generations. I wonder if I'll feel the same way in my old age if Toy Story 24 comes out.

You can see Toy Story 5 for yourself when it hits theaters this Friday, June 19.

Spoilers for Off Campus Season 1 and the book The Deal are ahead! If you haven’t watched it, you can stream it with an Amazon Prime subscription.

Before Off Campus took over the 2026 TV schedule, I witnessed a lot of talk about what should be kept the same in this book-to-screen adaptation of The Deal (Elle Kennedy’s first book in her Off Campus series). On multiple occasions, I saw fans mention the hands-off law. However, it's revealed in the finale that the show totally changed the way this situation plays out. So, I had to ask Belmont Cameli, who plays Garrett Graham, about this difference, and I loved how he defended it.

How The Hands-Off Law Changed Between The Deal And Off Campus

In both the spicy hockey romance book and the sexually explicit Amazon Prime show, it’s revealed that there’s a hands-off law on campus that stops any man from getting near Hannah. So, understandably, she storms into the boys' locker room to confront Garrett about it.

When Hannah confronts Garrett in the book, he proudly says, “Of course I did,” when she asks if he invoked the hands-off law. He then explains that he did it because he was “afraid” Hannah was so stubborn she would sleep with someone else to prove a point while they were broken up and then regret it.

Meanwhile, in the show, Garrett literally did the exact opposite of that. In fact, he told Hannah in the finale that he “never said any of that” and would never say anything like that. Instead of him enacting this law on campus, it was a misunderstanding, as his teammates spread a rumor that Garrett would “beat anyone up who hit on Hannah.”

That’s a pretty dramatic change to make, and fans really debated it in the comments section of CinemaBlend’s TikTok about Cameli’s comments that we’re about to discuss. However, I loved that they did it, and so did the Garrett Graham actor.

Belmont Cameli Defended The Hands-Off Law Change So Well

Along with changes like Logan kissing Hannah instead of Dean and the fact that a lot of Dean and Allie’s book was moved into Season 1, the hands-off law was an update made as this story moved from book to screen that I loved. So, during my interview with the Off Campus cast, I asked Belmont Cameli how he felt about it. Here’s what he had to say:

I also feel like it would have felt out of character and controlling. Plus, considering Garrett’s journey in the season surrounding his dad and being scared of being like him, I think the last thing he’d do is a possessive and toxic move like this.

Further explaining his feelings about this change and why Garrett wouldn’t do something like this, Cameli said:

So, yes, while fans love the hands-off law in the book, it felt like a fitting and important change to make in the show.

Now, as we move into Season 2 of Off Campus, which will center around Dean and Allie, I’m looking forward to seeing how the series continues to adapt its source material. That’s because, while a lot stayed the same, the Prime Video show also made deliberate and bold changes that really worked, like this one involving the hands-off law.

June is Pride Month, and there are plenty of folks seeking out LGBTQ+ stories to experience as a result. While we were treated to RuPaul's new comedy Stop! That! Train!, there's an upcoming horror movie with queer themes coming out as well: Adrian Chiarella's Leviticus. The movie follows two young gay teenagers who are tormented by a supernatural entity that takes the form of the person they're most attracted to. I thought the movie was an allegory about the dangers of conversion therapy, but the filmmaker offered me another POV.

While it remains to be seen if Leviticus ends up becoming one of the best horror movies of the year, I personally loved the new Australian scary movie. As you can see in the video above, I got the chance to speak with actor Joe Bird (who starred in Talk To Me) and director Adrian Chiarella ahead of the movie's release. The filmmaker spoke more about wanting to explore homophobia via horror, telling me:

Actress Mia Wasikowska plays the mother of Joe Bird's protagonist Naim, who has a "Deliverance Healer" try and cure her son's homosexuality. While she means well, this ceremony is what summons the entity that haunts the boys throughout Leviticus' 88-minute runtime. She thinks she's helping her son, which is yet another way that homophobia can sometimes manifest itself out in the real world.

Over the past few years there's been a ton of discourse about the importance of LGBTQ+ representation in movies, and Leviticus pivots between showing young queer love and having its heroes stalked by a presence that looks like the person they're attracted to. Later in our conversation, Chiarella spoke more about this new type of horror villain, telling me:

Same-sex attraction can often inspire homophobia, whether its in microaggressions or more insidious things like conversion therapy. In that way Leviticus tells a story that's universal, while bringing a wholly originally horror movie to theaters. Both Obsession and Backrooms have been crushing at the box office this summer, but Adrian Chiarella's new movie is the perfect Pride scary movie for queer fans of the genre (of which there are many).

Leviticus hits theaters on June 19th as part of the 2026 movie release list. We'll just have to see if this becomes another instant horror classic. Personally I loved what Adrian Chiarella brought to the table, and found its story moving as a queer person myself.

TRUTH, JUSTICE AND THE RIGHT TO PARTY.

Words to live by when you’re a superhero for our messy, chaotic age. “She’s unapologetic,” says Craig Gillespie, director of Supergirl, the next chapter of James Gunn’s rebooted DCU. “Her honesty and wanting to hold people to her own moral code is not necessarily in line with Superman. She has her own belief system that makes her truly independent. “These are all things we can really appreciate. In the midst of our very complicated times, to have somebody that’s holding people accountable and doing it from a very human place… She’s not asking to be in the spotlight. It’s been thrust upon her, this responsibility. She’s tried to avoid it in a way that’s very relatable. Eventually she realizes that she cannot avoid it, and she has to deal with it.”

Meet the new Maid of Might, a cynical, pleasure-seeking wild child hiding a world of trauma beneath her cape. It’s a fresh take that shakes up the traditional image of the DC icon. Originally a poster girl for wholesome Americana – even the fiery demise of her homeworld didn’t dent that indestructible smile – Kara Zor-El debuted on the comics page in 1959, introduced as the Man of Steel’s cousin, last survivor of Argo City.

She arrived on the big screen in 1984, played as a sky-soaring innocent by Helen Slater. 2023’s The Flash jettisoned the optimism to bring us Sasha Calle as a sullen, battle- hardened Kryptonian warrior. But while Calle had signed a multi-picture contract, Gunn and co-CEO Peter Safran’s creative overhaul of the DCU saw Milly Alcock step into the red boots, making a charismatic cameo in the closing moments of last summer’s Superman.

Best known as the heir to the Iron Throne, Rhaenyra Targaryen, Alcock was a given when Gillespie signed to direct. “That was a huge part of me wanting to do the movie, having that security of knowing who Supergirl is, and loving Milly as an actor. I’d seen her in House Of The Dragon and a lot of her work in Australia.

“Tonally, this dance that I love to do between the humour and the drama, I feel like it’s in an actor’s DNA. It’s like asking someone to play a tune on a piano, they either have the rhythm or they don’t, and I knew she had it. We had that kinship of being Australian together.

“This story goes to some very heavy emotional places and she can deliver that, no problem whatsoever. Also, having an actor that people aren’t familiar with was an amazing opportunity on a film of this scale. It rarely happens.”

Alcock rocks a Blondie tee in the movie, a wardrobe choice that Gillespie made to underline “this sort of rock ’n’ roll, punk attitude that she has. To be able to pull that off is not an easy feat as an actor. To have that carelessness and that coolness without trying. She manages to do it so well. It’s such a fine line, because it can get grating to an audience, where you can feel the affectations, but you truly feel like she does not care, in the best possible way.”

Some of that punk sensibility made its way into the filmmaking, too. “Just the grit of the whole thing,” Gillespie tells SFX. “The look of it, the camerawork, the lighting. It’s not what you would think of as a conventional superhero film. We sort of rebelled against that!”

Written by Ana Nogueira, currently at work on a reboot of Wonder Woman, the movie takes inspiration from Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow, the acclaimed 2021 comic book by Tom King and Bilquis Evely. Itself inspired by 1969’s John Wayne Western True Grit, the eight-issue miniseries teams Kara with Ruthye Marye Knoll, an alien girl who seeks justice after her father is slain by space pirate Krem of the Yellow Hills (Eve Ridley and Matthias Schoenaerts bring these characters to the screen).

“I got the script blind,” shares Gillespie. “I hadn’t read Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow and I deliberately didn’t pick it up before I saw the script. Two scenes in, I’m in. I’m absolutely in. There was this incredibly dark scene and then this incredibly irreverent, morally ambiguous character scene with [Kara].

“To have a superhero character – and particularly a female character – that’s so flawed and complicated, that’s what I was truly excited about. Then the gravy of it was it’s a whole galaxy that we have to create. It all happens off-planet. It’s its own story, completely isolated in a way. I’ve always wanted to do some sci-fi thing, so to have that opportunity was incredibly exciting, and then at times incredibly exhausting!”

Conceived as a cosmic “road movie”, Supergirl embraces the interstellar sprawl of DC mythology, taking in no less than nine distinct planets, Gillespie estimates – including a war-ravaged world overrun by bandits.

“I came in with around 120 pages of images of what I thought this movie should be. I started out with thousands of images and by the time I’d narrowed it down there was a narrative to it, and something that was very exciting and tactile and messy.

“I showed all of that to James, and then I asked him, ‘How much do you want me to be in your world, coming off of Superman?’ He said, ‘Not at all. I’m approaching all of these films like they’re their own graphic novels, and every graphic novel has its own illustrator and its own writer that make it distinctive, so this is your version.’ That answer, for a filmmaker, is amazing!

“I was trying to make it feel unique. I kept coming back to the story: what would be happening on this planet? What kind of disrepair would it be in? How many different alien species? Who’s in charge? What’s the hierarchy? It was a constant conversation, and that was probably the most surprising amount of bandwidth that I wasn’t expecting. Everything has to be invented and discussed. Even a menu. What language is it in? What’s the typeface?”

Supergirl’s planet-hopping leads to an encounter with another DC legend. Brawling, cigar-chewing Czarnian bounty hunter Lobo makes his big-screen debut, played by Jason Momoa – Aquaman in the pre-Gunn DCU. It’s a piece of casting so perfect you half suspect Momoa snuck back in time to inspire the character in the first place.

“He was so ready!” laughs Gillespie. “Years of waiting and wanting to get that character. He was very involved with the R&D on that, in the best way.

“For me, it was an education, going back and looking at all the Lobo comics through the decades. What are we going to narrow in on, wardrobe-wise and look-wise? I’ve got hundreds of versions of Lobo on my laptop, but we all narrowed in on a particular version: the armour, the knee-pads, the boots, all of it. Jason was involved in all of that.

“Then, when we got to the set, it was like, ‘How intimidating or foreboding is he? How much fun is he having?’ Jason gives the gamut. He was fearless in that way. It was so much fun to have that energy that came in, because it’s been a very serious mission for Kara and Ruthye. [Milly and Eve] had been shooting for two months at that point. Then to have this energy that kind of verbally attacks her, and they just go at it, and have this banter… It’s just so fun to watch.”

Did Gillespie feel any pressure bringing such a fan favourite to the screen? “Yeah, you kind of want to put the blinders on and not let that get into your head too much! He’s so beloved, Jason, and he’s so comfortable in this role that you can just feel it. From the early screenings we’ve done with audiences, he’s just so loved.”

At Supergirl’s side is superhound Krypto. A scampish scene-stealer in Superman, he proves a crucial part of the plot here as his mistress races to find the antidote to the poison that threatens his life.

“It’s Supergirl’s dog,” says Gillespie, promising a different dynamic to the one we saw in Superman. “They have such a strong bond. It’s such an intimate relationship that they have because Krypto came from Krypton. It’s the only tangible thing she has left of that life. She’s lost it all, and they’ve lived through it together, all of that pain and suffering. So he embodies so much more than just being Krypto to her. He’s a little physical touchstone. She’s maybe not as concerned as Superman, with him being well-trained! She’s a much freer spirit in that sense.”

Gillespie seems to specialize in maverick souls. From Lars And The Real Girl to I, Tonya and Cruella, he has repeatedly shown us people who exist beyond society’s expectations. Is Supergirl part of that throughline of flawed, fascinating characters?

“I feel like I keep getting attracted to outsiders,” he nods, “people that have been marginalized. Parts of them are dealing with trauma, and they’re working through that. I don’t know why I keep being attracted to that story!

“What Supergirl’s been through is quite intense. Superman grew up in a very loving, nurturing environment and was almost groomed for the role and the responsibility. She grew up in a situation where her planet is dying, she’s losing all of her loved ones and this responsibility has been thrust upon her.

She’s coming from a very different headspace. It gives us license to go to a darker place, in a way. I enjoyed being able to have that opportunity.”

Supergirl is in theaters from 25 June.

SFX magazine is available from 17 June, featuring an exclusive new interview with Milly Alcock.

Words: Nick Setchfield

On the 2026 movie schedule, it feels like a film can come from anywhere. A YouTube creepypasta can become Backrooms, A24’s highest-grossing movie, or a man with a large forearm tattoo can inspire Maggie Gyllenhaal to make The Bride!. In the case of Hayley Kiyoko’s Girls Like Girls, it’s been a long time coming for the singer ever since her music video of the same name went viral. CinemaBlend talked to the first-time feature writer/director about the “challenging” process of turning her lesbian pop anthem into a grounded coming-of-age movie, and wow, what a journey it's been!

How A Music Video Inspired The Girls Like Girls Movie

On June 24, 2015, Hayley Kiyoko released the “Girls Like Girls” music video, which went viral among the queer community for representing a lesbian love story between Coley and Sonya without sexualizing them. The video is frequently cited as a popular “lesbian awakening” touchstone that has also amassed 163 million views over the past 11 years. Check it out below:

Kiyoko took a cinematic approach to the video at the time, and fans instantly took notice. When I asked the pop star if she was thinking about making a movie on the set back then, she said this:

Thanks to tons of fans calling out their desire for the concept of Girls Like Girls to become a full-blown movie, it’s a film today. But there’s over a decade between the music video and this project being one of the latest LGBTQ+ movie releases.

Why It Took 10 Years To Become A Movie

Since Girls Like Girls became a hit song and music video, Hayley Kiyoko has been busy earning the title of “Lesbian Jesus” among her fandom as she kept making music, going on tour, and ended up helming a bunch of her own videos after her 2015 debut. But the Girls Like Girls movie never left her to-do list. As she continued in our interview:

Kiyoko finally found the right partners in Focus Features and big-time Hollywood producer Marc Platt, who has also been behind movies like Legally Blonde, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Drive, La La Land and the Wicked movies. As she added:

Hayley Kiyoko now joins the few game-changing women directors who broke through industry norms to realize a unique vision. There aren’t enough movies with lesbian characters, and the Girls Like Girls film is a rare instance of Hollywood giving them center stage.

Why Hayley Kiyoko Never Lost Hope

A decade is a long time to stick to a vision, but that can very much be a popular story when it comes to impassioned filmmakers trying to make a different sort of movie. When I asked her what’s kept her going as a loud advocate for the LGBTQ+ community across her career, she said this:

Before Girls Like Girls became a movie, Kiyoko turned it into a YA novel, making it one of the new book-to-screen adaptations, as well. The novel became a #1 New York Times Bestseller, perhaps assisting the case for a Girls Like Girls movie. Kiyoko also recently released a lesbian period novel called Where There’s Room For Us in November. As she also told us:

A movie idea can certainly come from anywhere, but it needs the right kind of drive to get made, and Kiyoko had it! Girls Like Girls finally hits theaters this Friday, June 19.

Disclosure Day is one of the 2026 movie releases that I’ve had my eye on ever since I learned it was Steven Spielberg’s first alien movie in 20 years. Did you know that the script also took a wild amount of drafts to get right? I was so curious about this fun fact, and the screenwriter told me about one character that probably held up filming the most.

How The Lengthy Disclosure Day Script Process Started

Steven Spielberg started jotting his ideas for Disclosure Day down in the summer of 2023 on the Notes app of his iPad. The story that allows him to continue to explore his lifelong fascination with extraterrestrials quickly turned into a 52-page treatment that he then sent to David Koepp, whom he’s worked with before on Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. In CinemaBlend’s interview with Koepp, the screenwriter recalled his first thoughts to the email with these words:

While many of Spielberg’s films have come from his own story ideas before becoming some of the best sci-fi movies ever made, he’s only personally written the scripts for a handful of movies over the years: Firelight, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Poltergeist, A.I. Artificial Intelligence and The Fabelmans. Here’s how Koepp became Disclosure Day’s screenwriter, per our chat:

When describing his collaboration with Spielberg, which have led to these iconic lightning-in-a-bottle movies before, David Koepp told me the filmmaker is “demanding”, but always “encouraging.” And in the instance of this particular collaboration, it took 42 drafts to get the script right before the movie was shot. But why?

What Caused The Most Back And Forth

It turns out there was a particular character in Disclosure Day that Koepp and Spielberg just couldn’t stop fine-tuning throughout the writing process. As Koepp shared:

I think this answer makes so much sense, because her character is one of the strongest parts of the film. That's not only from my perspective – it has been called out a bunch in Disclosure Day reviews. Blunt is the MVP of the film, but part of that needed to come through in the written final draft.

I also have to wonder if knowing people would perk up like I did over a new sci-fi movie from Spielberg meant they didn’t want to disappoint fans of with a subpar followup? He has a reputation to uphold! But 42 drafts? I mean, wow, that's a lot of tries to get Blunt's character just so.

You can decide for yourself how Disclosure Day stacks up to your favorite sci-fi movies by catching it in theaters now.

The toys of the Toy Story movies may be there until the end of the line for Andy and Bonnie, but how about the voice actors behind them? Tom Hanks and Tim Allen are Woody and Buzz, but is there a future where they won’t be? Luckily, there isn’t one right now, but Hanks did get honest about asking “why” they should do Toy Story 5.

When CinemaBlend’s own Jeff McCobb sat down with the stars of Toy Story who’ve been voicing these characters since the original movie 30 years ago, Hanks commented on his initial reaction to reprising the role of Woody for the fifth movie. Check out the exchange (also in the video clip above):

Tom Hanks: “In all honesty, when they say, ‘Would you like to do another Toy Story?’ My question was, ‘Well, why? What are you going to talk about?’ And Andrew [Stanton] had the thing of, ‘Well, we're sort of going to take on tech because Bonnie now has a device.’ ‘Got it!’”

Tim Allen: “And really low key. You go wow!”

Tom Hanks: “All the writers and producers are, you know, preoccupied with other stuff that's going on. They just kind of give us the bare bones.”

Very few franchises get to the fifth film and retain the quality of the original movie. And sometimes, it even leads to cast members who started with the leading characters being swapped out because it’s no longer what it used to be. When Hanks was first approached for Toy Story 5, it sounds like he wasn’t totally sure about another one, but then he was quickly grabbed by the concept.

Toy Story 5 follows the toys, previously of Andy’s room, as they navigate Bonnie getting a tablet named Lilypad. When the tech device starts to demand all her attention, the toys start to freak out about an impending doom where they are stored away in a box collecting dust in the garage, and Jessie tries to fix things. You can check out the latest Toy Story 5 trailer below:

The latest of the upcoming Disney movies tackles a timely concept of how screen time is not only affecting young children these days, but everyone. It totally makes sense why Tom Hanks and Tim Allen would instantly be drawn in to return to their iconic characters thanks to some ingenuity by the Pixar filmmakers. They've also clearly built years of trust after all the great Toy Story movies.

In addition to Toy Story 5 tackling technology, it also gives Jessie a central plotline she never got to have before. In a previous interview with the Toy Story 5 filmmakers, director Andrew Stanton told us that the first draft for the sequel didn’t include Woody at all. However, he missed the cowboy in the mix, and he felt like it would make sense for Jessie to ask for help from the toy even if he’s enjoying a retirement elsewhere with Bo.

Toy Story 5 had its world premiere last week, and first reactions to the fifth Toy Story are calling it a “genuine home run”, “deeply profound” and “top tier.” You can see it yourself in theaters starting this Friday, June 19.

Major spoilers for Disclosure Day lie ahead!

What would happen if there was definitive proof of the existence of alien life from the government and it could be shown to the world? That’s the topic at the heart of Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day. This recent 2026 movie release offers action, thrills, humor and heart as one would expect from a Spielberg film. However, it's also incredibly thoughtful and that vibe persists up through the final frame. With that, CinemaBlend recently spoke to screenwriter David Koepp about the final word that's uttered in the film.

During CinemaBlend's chat with Disclosure Day screenwriter David Koepp, who also previously wrote other famous movies like Jurassic Park, Spider-Man and Mission: Impossible, I had to ask him about the movies's last word: “Listen,” which is uttered by Emily Blunt's Margaret Fairchild. Koepp provided a thoughtful answer:

During the spine-chilling ending of Disclosure Day, Margaret and Josh O’Connor’s Daniel Kellner are able to make it to the KCTV station to make the film's titular event happen after a couple of hours of nail-biting thrills. Margaret gets to anchor for the first time to break the news, while Daniel leaks the life-threatening bag of government files he's been risking his life for.

After humankind witnesses a montage of jaw-dropping footage of evidence that the government has been recording extraterrestrial life from across history, one of these aliens appears in the newsroom as well to deliver a message through Margaret. We never hear the message itself as the movie ends on the word: “Listen”.

While some might see the credits unfold and say “That’s it?”, as Koepp shared, we don't need to as the word itself encapsulates the entire message of the movie. Disclosure Day is about showing empathy for others, and the biggest rule of grasping the feelings of others is to in fact listen to them. As the screenwriter continued:

Koepp was also inspired by the sci-fi masterpiece, Slaughterhouse Five, specifically at the start of Chapter 2. The novel from Kurt Vonnegut also features aliens called the Tralfamadorians, who experience all of time simultaneously. So it’s both a nod to one of the great classics of the genre and a clever way to deliver the message of the movie.

While he could have certainly thought up some message from the aliens, I appreciate David Koepp explaining the reasoning for the conclusion. The critically-acclaimed Disclosure Day certainly gets me thinking about how the world would really react if the moment indisputable evidence of alien life was shown to the world really happened. At the same time, it explores how human empathy and connection is one of our greatest strengths as a species, and the final word underlines that point beautifully.

If you look hard enough, everything’s a reference – especially since Hollywood has been making movies for over a hundred years now. If you’re a huge fan of Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill, you might notice that one of the 2026 movie releases, They Will Kill You, pulls from the modern classic, and its writer/director told CinemaBlend exactly how.

As soon as Warner Bros’ They Will Kill You trailer dropped, the comment section was flooded with people talking about how much it reminds them of Tarantino’s beloved flick mashed in with great horror movies like Ready or Not and You’re Next. Here’s what writer/director Kirill Sokolov told us on the topic:

A simple benchmark of whether a movie reaches “iconic” status is whether you dressed up as one of the characters and people can clock the character right away. Uma Thurman’s role as The Bride in Kill Bill definitely remains a Halloween favorite 22 years after its release. The writer/director of They Will Kill You was inspired by emulating the kind of “power” the character has represented over the years. As he added:

Sokolov came up with the idea for They Will Kill You after moving into a massive 17-floor apartment building with his wife. It must have been an odd place to live because they started a “running joke” that it was owned by a cult. That then morphed into the filmmaker deciding to make the movie revolve around Asia, a young woman posing as a maid in an exclusive high-rise in order to find her long-lost sister Maria. It’s not long before Asia discovers she's trapped in a temple for Satan, and she is their latest intended sacrifice.

From a shot of Zazie Beetz’s feet to severed limbs to a rageful protagonist who fights her way through hordes of people, it’s not hard to see why Kill Bill is often talked about in association with this new release, which is now available to stream with an HBO Max subscription.

While They Will Kill You was certainly influenced by Kill Bill, Sokolov also pointed out the myriad of other references the movie has. In his words:

And of course, Kill Bill is a reference in of itself to kung-fu movies, spaghetti westerns and anime films Quentin Tarantino was inspired by. If you dig They Will Kill You, Sokolov also shared his thoughts on a potential sequel in our interview as well. Until then, it feels like the two films would be a bloody fun double feature!

The second season of Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender is set to adapt the 18-episode second book of the beloved Nickelodeon series in seven episodes. That sounds like a hard mission, and it’s especially challenging because it wasn’t supposed to be that way. The show on Netflix’s 2026 schedule was originally going to be eight episodes. However, it got shortened. Therefore, things had to be cut. Thankfully, the EPs fought to make sure two beloved storylines weren’t taken out.

The trailer for Season 2 of Avatar: The Last Airbender makes it clear that many moments we want to see from Book 2 of the animated series will be included. However, the nature of the beast here is: not everything can fit into seven episodes. That’s especially true when a full episode gets cut from a season order, which EP Christine Boylan explained during an interview with SFX Magazine on CinemaBlend:

“The Tales of Ba Sing Se” is the first of two animated episodes specifically brought up by the EPs as they talked about what they wanted to keep in the series you can stream with a Netflix subscription. This animated installment, which is Season 2, Episode 14, is unique because it is split into chapters that follow characters through their own respective journeys in the Earth Kingdom’s capital. It slows down the show a bit and gives us a lovely peek into these characters' day-to-day lives. So, I’m thrilled we’ll get elements of this unique episode in live action.

Along with “The Tales of Ba Sing Se” being adapted for live-action, EP Jabbar Raisani noted that “Zuko Alone” was another episode they “couldn’t cut” for live-action. Explaining that further, he said:

In “Zuko Alone” (which is Season 2, Episode 7), we see the prince wandering the Earth Kingdom by himself. During his travels, he meets a young boy and his family. However, after he bonds with them and helps them fix up their home, it’s revealed that Zuko is a firebender. Meanwhile, this episode features many flashbacks that give us vital insight into Zuko’s childhood and his relationships with his family.

This episode is important to both Zuko’s character growth and our understanding of his past. So, as someone who has rewatched ATLA countless times, I’m thrilled it will have its moment in live-action.

However, not everything will get to be featured. It’s simply not possible, as Raisani explained:

I totally get this point. First, they don’t have the time to include everything. Secondly, this is an adaptation, so things should be different. I love that they’re pulling inspiration from all over the place, and I appreciate the care and thought they put into what they kept and changed.

Sadly, they didn’t get to include everything they wanted after an episode got cut. However, thankfully, they were able to keep important storylines the fans love. Now, to see what this all looks like in live-action, you can stream Season 2 of Avatar: The Last Airbender with a Netflix subscription when it premieres on the 2026 TV schedule on June 25.

Spoilers ahead for Find Your Friends.

Actress Bella Thorne has been a celebrity since her Disney days with Zendaya, and it's been fascinating to see where her career has gone as an adult. She's done horror movies like Amityville: The Awakening, and is back in the genre with Izabel Pakzad's Find Your Friends, which is available to stream now with a Shudder subscription. And the 28-year-old actress spoke to CinemaBlend about bringing the movie's wild prosthetic penis scene to life.

As you can see in the video above, I had the chance to speak with Find Your Friends' cast ahead of its release. I had to ask about its wild conclusion, which saw three characters tie up one of the villains and cut off his penis with a pair of scissors. I asked Thorne about bringing that sequence to life, and she was all smiles, telling me:

After seeing the way the group of ladies in Find Your Friends were tormented by the movie's villains, it definitely felt like poetic justice that they were given their comeuppance in such a gnarly way. A penis being chopped off with scissors is a nightmare for most men like myself, but it ended Izabel Pakzad's new thriller with a serious bang.

As previously mentioned, Bella Thorne has been in a number of bloody and/or horror movies over the years, including titles like Assassination Nation and the Babysitter movies (the latter of which are streaming with a Netflix subscription). As such, she wanted to be especially present for her fellow actors in Find Your Friends' bloody finale. As she said:

As tense and violent as Find Your Friends' big final action sequence was, the vibe was much lighter on set. Per Thorne, folks were trying to buoy the energy on set rather than being bogged down by the emotion and technical challenges. And for the Big Love alum, that meant being present for her co-star Jake Manley.

Movie shoots have notoriously grueling schedules, with scenes shot time and time again from a variety of angles. So since Manley's character had to be tied to a table before his penis is removed by the women, that meant he spent the day incapacitated. Luckily, Bella Thorne offered support by sitting with him during this process.

In the end, that scene really delivers, including watching a faux penis being chopped off after the bad guys killed a few of the movie's heroes. And despite the high stakes, it's fun to hear how light things actually were when filming.

Find Your Friends is streaming now on Shudder as part of the 2026 movie release list. Bella Thorne stars in the movie alongside Euphoria's Chloe Cherry, Helena Howard, Zión Moreno, and Sophia Ali.

Major spoilers for Episode 3 of Cape Fear are ahead! Read with caution and stream with an Apple TV subscription.

In the new adaptation of Cape Fear that’s airing on the 2026 TV schedule, we get to see Javier Bardem’s take on Max Cady, a villain who has been played by Robert De Niro and Robert Mitchum in some of the best horror movies of all time. That's one big connection between all the projects; however, there’s a cast member in this new series who played a major role in the 1991 movie. So, I had to ask the creator and the cast about the actress's new part.

The actress I’m talking about is Juliette Lewis. In the third episode of Cape Fear, it’s revealed in a creepy way that she’s the one who has been lurking around in that raincoat and mask. Of course, she played Danielle, the daughter in the family Max tormented, in the 1991 film. So seeing her return as seemingly an antagonist is a very fun twist that I discussed with creator Nick Antosca.

How Juliette Lewis Got Involved In Apple TV’s Cape Fear

The Apple TV version of Cape Fear that’s gotten solid reviews already has ties to the 1991 movie. For example, Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg worked on both of them. However, when it comes to what we see on-screen, the biggest connection between the last film and this new project came with the addition of Juliette Lewis.

The show’s creator, Nick Antosca, told me that he’s always “loved” Juliette Lewis’ performance in Cape Fear since the early ‘90s. So, the idea of involving her was always on his mind. Speaking about how he acted on this idea, Antosca told me:

In the 1962 version of Cape Fear, Gregory Peck played Sam Bowden while Robert Mitchum played Max Cady. Those parts then went to Nick Nolte and Robert De Niro, respectively, for the 1991 movie, while Peck returned to play Lee Heller and Mitchem came back as Lieutenant Elgart.

So, in that situation, Lewis has returned to Cape Fear as a new character. And it seems like she’s out to get Max Cady. To that point, Antosca told me how they developed this character for the Yellowjackets actress in the writers' room:

While we’ve only seen a peek of her so far, she’s been fabulously scary. It’s also clear that her character rattles Max in a way that surprised me. And it’s extra cool to watch when you consider who she played in the 1991 movie.

How The Actors Playing The Kids In 2026's Cape Fear Felt About Juliette Lewis

Speaking about who Lewis played in that movie, I also chatted with the actors who play the Bowden children in the Apple TV series. Lily Collias portrays Natalie, the daughter of Anna and Tom Bowden, and the closest parallel to Lewis’ Danielle from the 1991 film. When I asked Collias what it was like to have the actress who played a similar part on set, she explained:

She went on to say she’s “eternally grateful” that she got to work alongside Lewis for this show, especially considering the parallels that can be drawn between Natalie and Danellie.

Joe Anders, who plays Natalie’s brother, Zach, agreed with her. He also told me that they didn’t know Lewis would be involved at first. However, they were thrilled when they found out she was joining the cast, with Anders noting that the Natural Born Killers actress is “really one of the greats.”

Now, it will be very exciting to see how this story unfolds and how Juliette Lewis’ new character plays into it. To find that out, you can catch new episodes of Cape Fear every Friday on Apple TV.

Spoilers for Episode 6 of Dutton Ranch are ahead! You can stream it now with a Paramount+ subscription.

While we know Jamie Dutton was killed at the end of Yellowstone, both spinoffs on the 2026 TV schedule have made it clear that the people surrounding the Duttons have no clue what really happened to him. So suspicions are rising, specifically on Dutton Ranch right now, as the late Dutton sibling got name-dropped in Episode 6. That alone was terrifying; however, after one of the show's stars mentioned Game of Thrones while talking to me about all this, I’m even more scared.

Beulah Brought Up Jamie During A Conversation With Beth

During a conversation at a bar, Beulah told Beth about her boys, Rob-Will and Joaquin, and she said she “had no problem putting a bullet in the skull of anything that threatened” them. She also noted the similarities between the Dutton family and the Jacksons, saying:

I don’t know about you, but mentioning Jamie right after she said she’ll shoot anyone who messes with her family sent chills down my spine. Then, to make matters more dramatic and to really hammer home the fact that the end of Yellowstone very much still matters, Annette Bening’s Beulah responded to Beth saying she doesn’t think about her brother anymore with:

The conversation ended with Beth saying she doesn’t think about that either, and Beulah just making a “Hmm” noise. While no direct threats were made, it’s certainly scary that Beulah is questioning what happened to Jamie, and it further proves why Beth has met her match with the Jackson family matriarch.

Why One Dutton Ranch Star Compared This Moment To Game Of Thrones

Now, when I interviewed Zachariah actor Marc Menchaca, we chatted about his scene with Kelly Reilly, training, and the cliffhanger we’re left on at the end of Episode 6. That’s how Game of Thrones came up. I asked him how he reacted to that moment between Beth and Beulah when he read the script and wondered how this kind of reveal could haunt all the characters on this Yellowstone spinoff. In response, he told me:

I think this is a fantastic point. While there aren’t dragons flying around this universe, the stakes are certainly high, and what happens next is always unexpected.

Overall, what Menchaca’s comment reminded me of was – spoilers for Game of Thrones, which you can stream with an HBO Max subscription – Ned Stark’s death and the Red Wedding. When I watched the fantasy series, both those moments shocked me, as main characters were brutally killed off. On that show, no one was safe, and moments like those left me terrified about what could happen next.

On Dutton Ranch, Beulah name-dropping Jamie shows that she’s in the know about the Dutton family and its demons. It also proves that she’s willing to be ruthless. So, as Menchaca said, like GOT, it feels like "everything is up in the air" as these families battle it out for power and control. So, we’ll just have to tune in every Friday to see who lives to fight for another day as Dutton Ranch continues airing on Paramount+.

Spoilers ahead for Masters of the Universe.

After Barbie became a wild success, Mattel quickly began developing another movie based on its IP. Enter Travis Knight's Masters of the Universe, which hasn't been performing quite as well in theaters but is a ton of fun. The movie's mid-credits scene featured a brief appearance by none other than She-Ra, and the director spoke to CinemaBlend about how he approached that sequence.

Masters of the Universe's reviews praised the movie's humor and faithfulness to the source material, and fans were excited by how well superfan Travis Knight adapted Eternia for the big screen. As you can see in the video above, the director spoke to CinemaBlend about the inclusion of She-Ra, where he said:

He's not wrong. If Masters of the Universe doesn't actually get a sequel, the movie will have told a complete story about Adam's ascension to He-Man and his quest to save Eternia. But MOTU also has some unanswered questions as well as some cameos that could be expanded if Amazon MGM orders a follow-up movie.

Later in the same conversation with CinemaBlend, Travis Knight spoke about wanting to bring She-Ra into the narrative of his burgeoning franchise in a more significant way. In his words:

We mostly saw the back of She-Ra in Masters of the Universe's credits scene, but it was an exciting tease for longtime fans of the IP. During the movie, Adam's mother Queen Marlena hinted at Adora's existence, and it would be fascinating to see that dynamic played out and Nicholas Galitzine's protagonist reunite with his twin sister. Hopefully, that's something that can actually happen in the future.

While Travis Knight was careful not to reveal too much about his plans for She-Ra, he did confirm the location that we saw the character in her MOTU cameo. As he put it:

She-Ra has her own extensive lore that can be explored, which has previously been the focus of projects like She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (which is streaming with a Netflix subscription). Not only did she get to appear briefly in Masters of the Universe, but she was leading a battle in the Fright Zone. Fingers crossed we get to see the seeds of this narrative take root in another big-screen adventure.

Masters of the Universe is streaming now as part of the 2026 movie release list. While it's not cleaning up at the box office, it still has the potential to make a ton of money once it goes to streaming. Fingers crossed that'll result in a sequel being ordered.

Spoilers for the Season 1 finale of Every Year After are ahead! You can stream the entire season with an Amazon Prime subscription.

In the final moments of Every Year After’s first season, we got quite the setup for what could potentially happen in Season 2. Specifically, we need to talk about that photo Charlie was looking at. Yes, what happened to him after that, as well as Percy and Sam’s last interaction, are important. However, that image is vital because it directly sets up a book-to-screen adaptation of One Golden Summer, which is Carley Fortune’s follow-up to Every Summer After (which is the novel Season 1 is based on).

So, with all that in mind, let’s chat about that photo Michael Bradway’s character was looking at, who took it and why it’s so crucial that you remember it.

Why The Photo Charlie Saw Is So Important In Every Year After

In the final episode of this highly anticipated romance adaptation on the 2026 TV schedule, Charlie sees a photo in his colleague's office of himself, Percy and Sam in the banana boat.

When Charlie wonders who took the photo, his co-worker says he’s not sure and notes that his “wife bought it at a gallery when we were out in BC a few years back.” Now, while these guys don’t know who captured that image, readers of One Golden Summer do.

The photographer's name is Alice Everly, and she’s Charlie’s love interest. Carley Fortune’s book One Golden Summer tells their love story, and a major part of it centers around this image Alice caught of Charlie, his brother and Percy. Therefore, Bradway’s character seeing this photo totally sets up his big romance.

How Every Summer After And One Golden Summer’s Author Reacted To The Photo

Obviously, readers will probably freak out over the reveal of the image (I know I did). So, I had to ask Carley Fortune about it when I interviewed her. In response to a question about how she reacted the first time she saw the iconic photo of the banana boat and its owners, the author of Every Summer After and One Golden Summer told me:

Along with it being cool to see such a vital part of her stories literally come to life, Fortune also noted how it makes her very excited to see what happens next in Every Year After. Sharing her excitement for a potential Season 2, the writer explained:

So, while Season 1 of the show ends with Charlie collapsing by the photo (which is scary), it also alludes to his happily ever after. In One Golden Summer, Charlie does deal with his health in a big way, and Alice plays a vital part in it. Therefore, this introduction felt fitting, and it was both a dramatic cliffhanger to end the season and a lovely nod to the love story that Sam’s older brother should get.

Many changes were made in this adaptation of Every Summer After, and the introduction of Charlie’s story was one of them. As a fan of One Golden Summer, it was one of my favorite additions to Every Year After too, because it let us know that Alice was in and will come back to Barry’s Bay.

When we heard Conan O’Brien was joining the cast of Toy Story 5 about a year ago, I perked up at the reveal. I think the former late night host is one of the most amusing people alive right now, and I’ve been so curious about what he would bring to Pixar’s OG franchise. He’s playing a potty training toy called Smarty Pants, and I had to ask the movie’s creative team about how such an outlandish character came to be.

When CinemaBlend sat down with Toy Story 5 production designer Bob Pauley about Smarty Pants ahead of the upcoming Disney movie release, he talked to us about the evolution of the character before it became a toilet paper roll voiced by Conan O’Brien. In Pauley’s words:

Smarty Pants comes into the picture when Jessie goes off on her own adventure to another household outside of Bonnie’s. He’s one of those toys that’s been lying around in some drawer for years since his kid has all the toilet training skills she could ever need. As Pauley shared, the animators knocked around a lot of ideas for the character’s visual design, and it took a few tries to get right.

As it turned out, one of Pixar’s interns ended up being the person to crack the design for Smarty Pants. Here he is in all his glory:

It’s a pretty fun design, isn't it? Now wait until you hear Conan O’Brien’s voice come out of him in Toy Story 5. Pauley also said this about the process:

I always find it interesting how character designs change over the years when a Pixar movie is coming together, because these movies take a long time. Pauley also told me this fun tidbit about a Toy Story regular who nearly had the role instead of O'Brien.

I absolutely cannot wait to see Smarty Pants in action. As Pauley also told us, Toy Story 5 is very much Jessie’s movie since it explores her backstory. The Pixar sequel hits theaters on June 19. You can check out what critics are saying about it following its world premiere earlier this week. Until then, may you remember that even a roll of toilet paper can serve as inspiration on a big movie!

Hide your women, money, and booze, because Lobo is coming to a galaxy near you. Specifically, the Czarnian anti-hero will roll up in theaters in the upcoming DCU movie Supergirl, with Jason Momoa donning all that make-up and leather. This obviously isn’t the actor’s first DC role — that was the far more tanned Aquaman, a character that has yet to be recast for James Gunn and Peter Safran’s cinematic universe. How would Momoa react if and when another actor steps in?

As seen in the video above, he had a hilarious answer locked and loaded when CinemaBlend asked for his take in our Supergirl chat. In his words:

The Game of Thrones veteran was joking, of course. Or maybe he meant "taken out...to a classy restaurant to celebrate the news that I fully support." Wink-wink.

Momoa continued, making it clear he knows anything and everything's in play at this point.

If anything's possible, then I have quite a few wishes to bring up involving Batman, Wonder Woman, and that since-defunct Arkham Asylum TV show. But let's keep this wishing focused on Jason Momoa characters.

Could Momoa's Lobo And Aquaman Ever Share The Screen?

Peacemaker set several precedents for DCEU characters to reappear within DC Studios projects, and while Jason Momoa's casting as Lobo seemed to confirm that the DCU would bring a new actor in to play Arthur Curry in the future, that doesn't have to be the case, right? When CinemaBlend's Hannah Saulic asked if Momoa's Lobo could ever appear opposite his Aquaman, he shared:

Momoa then went a little deeper into the logic behind why it wouldn't exactly break reality for Gunn and Safran to potentially keep him in the mix for any Aquaman appearances. As he put it:

Supergirl star Milly Alcock took over the role of Kara for Craig Gillespie’s film (and that lush-ious Superman cameo), having replaced the heartbroken Flash actress Sasha Calle. So it’s hard to know what the case would be with other characters.

All things considered, I wouldn’t expect the DCU to rush into another live-action Aquaman feature anyway, so it might be a moot point. But I could certainly see Arthur showing up for a smaller role in a team-based movie, or whatever the situation, and having someone already established like Momoa would only help. (Also allowed: Alan Ritchson reprising his Smallville role.)

Even outside of Aquaman-related concerns, it’s also unknown if and when we’ll see Momoa’s Main Man again in the DCU, but we do know a Lobo popcorn bucket set for release when Supergirl hits theaters on June 26, 2026. See it!

Sam Levinson's Euphoria is an HBO show that got the world talking and made stars of its cast. That includes Chloe Cherry, who went from having a few lines to becoming a series regular in the third and final season (which is streaming with an HBO Max subscription). While promoting her new thriller Find Your Friends, she spoke to CinemaBlend about how much drug use came up on the set of the HBO show.

Fans are still recovering from Euphoria's controversial finale, but Chloe Cherry is already promoting another exciting acting gig: Izabel Pakzad's Find Your Friends, which will arrive with a Shudder subscription on June 12th. As you can see in the video above, the 28-year-old actress spoke to me about how conversations on set usually change based on the content, and how for Euphoria that meant lots of drug chats. In her words:

Honestly, this makes sense. Cast/crew spend long hours on film and TV sets, so there's plenty of time to talk and get to know your coworkers. And it sounds like whatever each project is about usually informs what folks shared. For Euphoria, that meant that Cherry learned a ton about each individual's history with drugs. Since the show is about a teenage addict, the inspiration is obvious.

Later in our same conversation, Cherry went on to compare her work on Euphoria with Find Your Friends. This includes the off-camera conversations, as well as the way Levinson and Pakzad approached comedic beats for their respective directorial ventures. In her words:

Find Your Friends is about a group of girlfriends who go on a weekend trip of partying together, only to be targeted by violent locals. And that's why the chats were focused on friendship and parties when cameras weren't up. Chloe Cherry stars in the new thriller alongside Bella Thorne, Helena Howard, Zión Moreno, and True Blood alum Chris Bauer.

Find Your Friends will hit Shudder on June 12th as part of the 2026 movie release list. With Euphoria in the rearview, it should be interesting to see what comes next for Chloe Cherry.

Dylan Efron got real about the delicious food we see served up on The Traitors, and how it's not always the ideal spread for someone with gym goals. As we wait for the series to return to the 2026 TV schedule, Efron revealed how he struggled and empathized with recent winner Rob Rausch.

CinemaBlend had a chance to speak to Efron on behalf of Garden of Life, which recently announced a clear and transparent whey protein line, giving those looking to up their protein an alternative to the usual powder options. The reality star, who most recently went through the gauntlet of competing on Dancing With The Stars, told me he wished he had access to shakes at the Traitors' castle because it was slim pickings when it came to protein:

Here I thought the biggest food drama on The Traitors was Michael Rappaport's bizarre eating habits. I do remember the internet being confused by Rob Rausch absolutely downing eggs during the infamous dinner murder in plain sight, but now it makes sense. Eggs amount to one of the only solid sources of protein, with salmon also mentioned occasionally. Maybe someone should make a note of that for the upcoming NBC spinoff, so other contestants can keep their energy levels up.

Dylan Efron added that wasn't the only drama tied to food on The Traitors either. He said that food was often laid out when they were out doing their challenge, and when you returned, there was a tense showdown and uncertainty of what to do:

General etiquette does point to it being rude before everyone is seated and able to eat, but it also doesn't account for when five people are trapped in a box and may not get out for a few hours. I certainly get why Dylan Efron was unsure of how to react in that situation, though I certainly wouldn't fault anyone for eating without me if I had to stay behind for a challenge punishment. Now I just want an All-Stars season even more, so Dylan can air these grievances to Alan and the producers.

Perhaps there's a dual way to win here, if Efron can use his contacts at Garden of Life to help other celebs looking to maintain gains meet their protein goals. The retail launch is coming this September, with Mango Mist, Lemon Frost and Unflavored rounding out the opening lineup of clear whey. If it's good enough for the sexiest man alive nominee, I'm sure many others can get on board with it.

Dylan Efron also confirmed to CinemaBlend he'd love to return to The Traitors if given another chance, and given the series' penchant for inviting back past players, it might happen. I'd love to see him back on my Peacock subscription, so hopefully the right people are paying attention and putting in calls to bring him back.

The Traitors will return with the spinoff version in September on NBC, and the celebrity version will return to Peacock in January 2027. I'm psyched for both, especially with double the fun on the horizon.

Spoilers for Season 1, Episode 5 of Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed are ahead! You can stream it now with an Apple TV subscription and then catch new episodes every Wednesday.

Many of Tatiana Maslany’s best projects feature some big action or intense moments. Her show on the 2026 TV schedule, Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, is no different. Specifically, in Episode 5 of the series, she has a standout fight involving a nail gun, and that’s what led me to ask the actress about how her past projects, like Orphan Black and She-Hulk, influenced her work on this great Apple TV series.

As a massive fan of Maslany’s Marvel show (which can be streamed with a Disney+ subscription), I was very excited to see her have some action sequences in this new series. Plus, knowing how beloved Orphan Black is, it was exciting to see her take on some very intense moments. So, I asked the actress how those two projects helped and inspired her while working on Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed. In response, she said:

Well, the fight in Episode 5 of Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed certainly fits this description. In it, Maslany’s Paula finds herself in quite the brawl with two people who were part of Trevor’s cam boy scam.

There is a nail gun involved, and Paula quite literally fights both characters. It’s a brawl in this motel room that’s under construction, and as Maslany’s character tries to get out of it, she uses a spray, a nail gun and her sheer will to get out of there. Ultimately, she nails the scamboy’s hand to the ground and is able to escape.

Overall, this sequence clearly shows off everything Tatiana Maslany told me about what she loves in an action sequence. It’s “sloppy,” and it did, indeed, make me say “Yikes!” That sloppiness was amazing too, because it’s what's realistic for this character. Paula is not a career criminal; she’s never been in a situation like the wild one she finds herself in in this show. So, when she winds up in a fight like this, of course it’s going to be visceral and messy.

I’m happy she learned that she loved action like this on her last projects too. It was epic then, and it’s epic here. Now, I can’t wait to see the action Tatiana Maslany’s Paula finds herself in as Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed continues to air every Wednesday on Apple TV.

For the first time in almost 25 years, Steven Spielberg is one of the people behind an upcoming sci-fi movie that is wholly original, thanks to his new movie Disclosure Day. However, that doesn’t mean you won’t find some connections between the new film and his legendary contributions to the genre. And when CinemaBlend spoke to Disclosure Day’s screenwriter David Koepp, he name-dropped one beloved film of Spielberg's that is linked to the new movie.

Koepp and Spielberg are longtime collaborators who’ve worked together before on Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Since I’d heard him call Disclosure Day a "spiritual sequel” to Close Encounters of the Third Kind, I had to know what he meant by that. In Koepp’s words:

Close Encounters was released back in 1977 and served as the filmmaker’s first of a handful of alien movies he made, even predating E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. As Koepp shared in our interview, there are no characters or plotlines that connect it to Disclosure Day, but they very much could be thought of in the same breath due to their themes. As he continued:

While it’s somehow been almost a half of a century between Steven Spielberg’s first alien movie and Disclosure Day, Koepp thinks they both speak to how the public has perceived the potential of extraterrestrial life in association with the government’s knowledge about it. While Close Encounters explored the wonder and excitement involved in someone finding out about the existence of alien life, Disclosure Day starts with the idea of alien life being a truth already within the world, it just has yet to be officially released to the public.

Disclosure Day came out of an original story Spielberg thought up and started coming up with a concept for. He ended up writing a 38-page email detailing his plans for the storyline to David Koepp, which he then asked the screenwriter to work with him on. Koepp told us he thought to himself, “Holy smokes!” while reading the idea for the first time and thought it “worked so well.”

So far, Disclosure Day is receiving a lot of positive reactions that have called it a “towering home run,” “truly something special,” and “just great.” It has a fantastic Rotten Tomatoes score of 87% after a slew of complementary reviews went online. The science fiction movie is the biggest of the 2026 movie releases to come to theaters this weekend. You can see it for yourself on June 12.